A minor Hindu girl from Belagavi district was rescued, and an Islamist man named Mohd Sahil was arrested after the family alleged that he groomed, abducted, and attempted to pressure her into the Islamic religious conversion under the pretext of marriage. Police said a special team traced the girl to Bengaluru, brought her back safely, and took the accused Islamist Sahil into custody following a complaint from her parents.
Friendship through relative, then alleged grooming
According to the complaint, the accused first came into contact with the Class 12 student through a relative girl. Over time, he allegedly developed a close friendship with the minor, gradually gaining her trust before beginning to influence her decisions and isolate her from family oversight.
‘Let’s go around’ lure, then abduction allegation
The parents have alleged that the accused lured the girl by suggesting they ‘go around’ and then abducted her, triggering panic at home and an immediate search. After the family approached police, a special team was formed to track the movement of the minor and identify locations where she may have been kept.
Times of India reported that Athani police arrested three accused in the abduction of a minor girl from Athani, Belagavi district, allegedly on the pretext of love and marriage. The main accused, Iqbal Aminsab Sheikh (21), was arrested in Bengaluru on January 15, and two others, Sridhar Pattar (26) and Rohit Santosh Khadri (19), were held for allegedly helping him.
Quote used during grooming and conversion pressure
The complaint further alleges that the accused attempted to brainwash the girl, repeatedly claiming, “Bharat will soon become a Muslim nation,” while pressuring her to convert to Islam for marriage. He allegedly promised that he would take good care of her and said he would marry her after she turns 18 on January 28, framing conversion as a condition linked to the proposed marriage.
Acting on leads, police reportedly located the minor in Bengaluru, rescued her, and arrested the accused. Officials said the matter is being investigated under relevant legal provisions, and that the girl’s statement and digital communication trails will be examined to establish the sequence of events, including whether coercion, threats, or organized grooming were involved.
“Bharat will soon become a Muslim nation,” Sahil reportedly said, a statement that raises serious concerns about intent, ideological radicalization, and the safety of Hindu families. If such remarks are being made so casually, it points to a dangerous mindset where conversion is not seen as a personal choice but as a political project aimed at reshaping the country’s identity. The ease with which this language is used also reflects a worrying trend among some youth influenced by hardline Islamist narratives.
If this mindset is allowed to grow unchecked, the future could become increasingly insecure for Hindu children and other minorities, not just socially but psychologically, as fear and coercion replace trust and coexistence. What makes the situation more alarming is the perception that political parties, including the Congress, often respond with soft language, selective outrage, or even Islamic appeasement instead of insisting on strict legal action in such sensitive cases. If the law is applied weakly or unevenly, society pays the price, and the years ahead could become far more difficult for ordinary Hindu families trying simply to live with dignity and safety due to such radical Islamists.
