In another tragic incident mirroring the interfaith relationship tragedy in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga, Bal Muni Lohra, a woman from the Janjatiya community, met a similar fate. Allegedly, on May 7, her husband, Islamist Akhtar Ansari, strangled her to death. Following the heinous act, Ansari attempted to bury Muni’s body in a graveyard to hide the crime. However, vigilant locals caught him in the act and promptly informed Muni’s parents. Subsequently, a case was registered against Ansari, and he was arrested by the police on charges of murder.
Based on the reports from OpIndia, the victim’s father, Laldev Lohra, filed a First Information Report (FIR number: 13/2024) at the Kisko police station on May 7. Based on this complaint, Ansari has been charged under IPC sections 302 (murder), 201 (concealing evidence), and 31 (acts committed by several people with common intention).
According to reports from Organiser, Bal Muni eloped with Ansari nearly five years ago, thereafter residing with him. Despite family disapproval, she maintained her relationship with Ansari, severing ties with her family. During this time, she bore a son and reportedly underwent a marriage ceremony with Ansari, following Islamic customs. Information regarding a name change remains undisclosed.
On May 7, Ansari purportedly strangled Muni to death in their residence. After the murder, he transported her body to a nearby graveyard, where his brother-in-law, Sanaullah Ansari, joined him. Together, they plotted to bury Muni discreetly to conceal the crime from the local community.
Despite their intentions to bury the body discreetly, locals caught Ansari and his brother-in-law in the act. Upon discovery, they promptly informed the woman’s family members, who accused Ansari and his accomplice of her murder.
Following the report of the crime, the police transported the body to Lohardaga Sadar Hospital for a postmortem examination. On May 8, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kisko Police Station mentioned that Ansari was currently in judicial custody but did not provide information regarding any action against Sanaullah.
On a serious note, the continuous harassment and targeting of Hindu women by Islamists with the intention of religious conversion and coercion is deeply concerning. These incidents highlight a disturbing pattern of deliberate targeting and perpetration of crimes against women in the Hindu community. Such acts of religious extremism and coercion must be unequivocally condemned, but in many instances, authorities failed to give justice to the victim.
