A case of grooming jihad has emerged from Bihar’s Siwan where a Hindu man was allegedly trapped by a Muslim girl following which he converted to Islam and became a maulana (a Muslim cleric). The photos of the victim as a maulana were then made viral by the accused, Roji Khatun, in the locality.
The family of the man, named Shravan Kumar, has levelled charges of forced religious conversion. The victim belongs to a village in Mirganj of Gopalganj district. He currently resides in Miskar Toli in Maurwa.
In a video, Shravan Kumar said that his decision to convert is his own and not under any pressure. He said that he is of legal age to decide for himself. Similar words were uttered by the accused Roji Khatun when she spoke to the media.
The victim’s mother has alleged that Roji Khatun trapped Shravan in an affair and eloped with him some seven months ago. He was then converted, made a maulana, and sent to a madrasa. His distressed mother has appealed to the administration to bring her son back.
Meanwhile, the accused has reportedly said that Shravan Kumar was only her friend and nothing more. And that she does not know much about him. She said that Shravan Kumar is a grown-up and knows what he wants to do. “He is not a child that someone will trap him. He is a 23-year-old boy”, Roji Khatun told the media.
Siwan SDPO Firoz Aalam has said that the case is linked to a love affair but investigation is underway after which details will be more clear. Shravan Kumar’s father Pradeep Chauhan reportedly settled in Maurwa nine years ago from Harpur in Gopalganj for work and children’s studies.
Shravan is the eldest of three brothers and was employed in a shop in Maurwa. He had reportedly met Roji some three to four years ago.
