A young woman from Kasaragod who had recently completed her BSc in Criminology was reportedly trapped in love jihad, left home, and married an Islamist youth, Mohammed Midlaj from Wayanad, despite objections from her parents. The couple was later traced by police in Kerala after a missing persons complaint was filed.
The Hindu woman, identified as Vaishali from Meepuguri near Madhur in Kasaragod district and belonging to the Billava community, had been studying at Mukka Srinivas College in Mangaluru for the past three years. Although she completed her degree this year, she continued staying in a paying guest (PG) accommodation near Surathkal along with friends.
As per Mangaloretoday reports, during her stay in Mangaluru, she became acquainted with Islamist Mohammed Midlaj, a Wayanad native employed at Atlas Jewellery in Surathkal. Police said the couple registered their marriage in Wayanad on January 31, and their photograph was displayed at the local registrar’s office. The image reportedly reached her family through social media on February 8.
After learning about the marriage, Vaishali’s father, who works in Qatar, returned to Bharat immediately. He and her mother visited the Surathkal PG, where CCTV footage showed Vaishali leaving the premises on the morning of February 8 carrying a vanity bag. Her phone was switched off soon afterward, prompting her parents to file a missing complaint at the Surathkal police station.
Acting on leads, police travelled to Wayanad and located the couple. They were brought to the police station for questioning and statements were recorded. During the interaction, Vaishali’s parents reportedly urged her to return home, but she chose to remain with Midlaj. Police confirmed that her statement was officially documented.
Investigators also found that Vaishali had been living independently with friends for nearly a year after finishing her studies. She is the second of three daughters; her elder sister lives in the United States, and she has a younger sister.
The incident has sparked reactions among some local Hindu groups and family members. While Hindu organizations have alleged that the case is an instance of love jihad. The episode has also renewed public debate over the monitoring of students living in PG accommodations in Mangaluru and Surathkal, with calls for stricter oversight.
The issue of love jihad has again been discussed over the past few months, and now a case has surfaced in the Mangaluru–Kasaragod region. There are growing concerns that in Hindu families, daughters are being lured, manipulated, or blackmailed and then taken away from their families. This case has raised emotional reactions, with people questioning how a daughter could leave her parents and go with someone without their consent. Many are recalling the Shraddha Walker case and expressing fear that such tragedies should never be repeated. This incident has therefore triggered strong concern and calls for caution and awareness among Hindus. Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena are very active in coastal Karnataka in taking up cases they believe are related to love jihad. However, this particular case somehow slipped through their vigilance; otherwise, the situation might have unfolded differently.
