In another grooming case Rachna, who had eloped and married Mohammed Irfan a few years ago, was recently found dead. Irfan was jailed on charges of domestic violence and forced conversion based on Rachna’s complaint and was out on bail. The woman’s father has alleged that his daughter was murdered by her husband. As per reports, the woman’s body was handed over to her father after a scuffle at the police station between him and Irfan’s family.

The incident took place in MP’s (Madhya Pradesh) Shujalpur district located about 100 kilometers away from Bhopal. The victim hails from a Scheduled Caste and was groomed by the accused when she was studying at Jawahar Lal Nehru Smriti college. “In 2018, she fell into the trap of a boy named Irfan who posed as a Hindu and married him in court,” Rachna’s father Mohanlal Khelawar said.

According to the court documents in Khelawar’s possession, Rachna and Irfan were in a live-in relationship. Khelawar further stated that the Khelawar family wasn’t in touch with Rachna till she returned to her maternal home after facing physical abuse by the accused and his family.

Initially, the couple lived separately but was soon forced to shift with his family. She shifted with Iran’s family in March 2021. Mohanlal said that Rachna was forced to accept Islam and given the name Alia Bi before the nikah. “His family said it was haram for a man to be living with a woman without nikah. Where did all their morals go when Irfan made a woman elope from her house?”, questioned Mohanlal.

Rachna returned to her maternal home in August 2021 and informed her parents about the ordeal she went through at her in-laws’ place. She told them that in June after a fight Irfan dragged her out of the house, onto the concrete road, holding her one leg. Her backbone suffered severe damage. Supported by her parents, Rachna filed a case against Irfan who was released within a month on bail.

The FIR was registered at Susner police station on August 24 following which Irfan was arrested. In her statement, Rachna said that three years ago she was trapped by Irfan. She began living with him based on a court affidavit. Soon she gave birth to two children. After the kids were born, Irfan started pressuring her to convert to Islam. When she refused, he forced her.

Her statement says that she was converted to Islam in February 2021 and shifted in with his family in Susner in March after their marriage as per Islamic rituals. At Susner, she was forced to follow Islamic customs and beaten up if she refused to do so. The statement also notes that she escaped from her home on 19 August when Irfan was out for work and reached her father’s place.

The police booked Irfan under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 3(2)(VA) of the Prevention of (Scheduled Castes and Tribes) Atrocities Act, and Section 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, which is loosely called anti-love jihad law. The Shujalpur district court released him on bail within a month saying that the victim, Rachna, had not produced the crucial evidence of her medical reports to the court to testify to the assault on her back (bail order number 373/21 issued on 24 September 2021).

After his release, Irfan began visiting Rachna and convinced her to return to him saying that he was sorry. Rachna went back in March 2022 and died in June. Irfan dropped Rachna at Shujalpur on June 1 as she was suffering from backache and returned with his father Akram Khan on June 4 to pick her up. Rachna’s brother Raj accompanied them back to Bhopal where Rachna had a doctor’s appointment scheduled.

At Bairagarh station, Irfan suggested that they should’ve breakfast and asked Raj to eat first. As per Mohanlal’s statement, Raj found his sister has died when he returned. Rachna’s body was taken to Susner from Bhopal and Akram called Mohanlal asking him to come to Susner for Rachna’s burial the next morning.

Khelawar reached the police station and following his repeated requests, Rachna’s body was brought to Shujalpur for post-mortem. Her body reached Shujalpur after nine hours and was handed over to Mohanlal after the medical formalities. She was cremated by Mohanlal as per Hindu rituals.

(Featured Image Source: OpIndia)