A grave matter regarding the abduction and grooming jihad of an underage Hindu girl has surfaced from Gopalganj in Bihar. A father has charged that a young man named Junaid Ansari has taken away his daughter. The perpetrator is a resident of in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. The distressed complainant is concerned that the Muslim youth might either forcibly marry the 16-year-old or engage in human trafficking. He asserted that the minor has been unaccounted for over the past several days.
What is the matter
In an interview with OpIndia, the father shared that his elder sister is married in Dumaria. Junaid also lives nearby in the same village and hence began to frequent their home. He mentioned that his daughter would also visit her aunt’s residence, where she became acquainted with the accused. The older man recounted that Junaid came to their place at approximately 7 pm on 10th July and found her missing when he woke up the next morning.
Additionally, gold and silver jewellery as well as ₹50,000 in cash also disappeared from the house. The family searched extensively but could not locate the teenager. According to him, his sister informed that Junaid has been in regular contact with his daughter via mobile phone. This revelation caused the family to suspect that he had lured and kidnapped her with plans to either marry or traffic her.
What unfolded when they arrived at the accused’s house
The father further told us that he travelled to Dumaria with his sister to meet with Junaid’s family. They initially acknowledged that he had been to their residence but later distanced themselves from the issue, asserting they were unaware of the girl’s whereabouts. Afterwards, they remarked, “This is a matter concerning young individuals. A mistake has been made. We will reason with him, bring him back and hand your daughter over to you.”
The victim’s father unveiled, “They asked for a two-day time but did not show up. On 14th July, they refused to come.” He accused Junaid, his mother Baby Khatoon and father Bismillah Ansari of abducting the juvenile with the motive of marriage, human trafficking or rape.
Meanwhile, OpIndia also reached out to the cousin (aunt’s son) of the girl who narrated the entire story. He explained that she had been living with their family for her education. It was during this time that she met Junaid, who had even given her a phone to stay in touch. They learned about this and tried to counsel her.
She refused to listen and was sent back to her father’s place, but Junaid also followed her and kidnapped her. The cousin mentioned that it has been more than a week since the disappearance. However, neither the media took notice of the matter so far, nor the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) until a week had passed. He added that there is still no trace of the girl.
What is inside the FIR
According to the FIR, the father charged that the police delayed the registration of the case for several days and only lodged one on 22nd July. He informed us that the Gopalpur police went to Junaid’s house, but his family did not provide the police with accurate information. He reiterated that they initially assured that they would return the minor but did not follow through.
The police have filed a report in accordance with sections 137 and 96 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). Section 137 addresses the issue of kidnapping. A conviction under this provision could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years along with a monetary fine.
Section 96 is related to the act of procuration of a child under the age of 18 using coercion, seduction or persuasion for the purpose of criminal sexual exploitation. This violation is punishable by a maximum of ten years in prison along with a fine. As of now, the authorities have not invoked the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Note: OpIndia tried to get in touch with the Gopalganj police station, but neither the station’s contact number nor the SHO’s (Station House Officer) number was reachable. This report will be updated once an official is available for comment on the matter.
Read the original ground report in Hindi here.
