In a case of grooming reported from Lucknow, a Muslim youth Afzal took on a Hindu identity and became Rajiv to trap and marry a Hindu girl. After marriage, however, he started to pressurize his wife for conversion and when the woman refused, the accused is said to have attempted to burn his wife and children alive in the house. The woman managed to escape and lodged a complaint at the police station. The police have registered a case under the UP Anti-Conversion Act against the accused.
As per the victim’s statement, she met Rajiv in 2009 who said that he was an orphan. Their friendship became stronger and on 13 February 2009 both of them got married at Arya Samaj Mandir. On the birth of their two children, Rajiv insisted on giving them Islamic names leading to a dispute between the two. Following this, the woman began investigating and came to know that Rajiv’s real name was Mohammad Afzal Siddiqui. Along with this, she also came to know about his parents.
The victim has alleged that Afzal was continuously pressurizing his wife to convert. Afzal even wanted his wife to have physical relations with 7 people. Afzal said that it was only after entering into a physical relationship that she will be able to become a Muslim. Further, he insisted that both his sons be circumcised.
When the victim refused conversion and circumcision, on the night of March 17 when she was alone with the children, Afzal is alleged to have closed the door of the house from outside and set the house on fire. The woman called 112 control rooms for rescue and policemen arrived to take the women and children out.
The woman then complained to the police about the incident. The police swung into action and keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, a case of attempt to murder has been registered against Afzal, his parents, and Maulanas at Thakurganj police station. Additionally, the accused have also been charged under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act.
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