Systematically targeted deception of Hindu girls by Islamists, grooming them to fall in love with the Islamist youth, and abduction and forceful conversion of Hindu girls have been a serious concern throughout Bharat. The southern Bharatiya state of Karnataka is no exception in this regard. These incidents have been collectively categorized as love jihad in the common parlance. Here are 15 recent instances of reported cases of love jihad from Karnataka.

1. On May 13, the parents of a Hindu woman alleged that the officer and staff of the sub registrar’s office in Uttara Kannada have supported love jihad by not displaying on the notice board the registration of the marriage of their daughter with Muslim youth. The incident took place near the sub-registrar’s office when Narayan Arejogi, of Kalebail village of the taluk, the girl’s father, warned that he would take legal action against the staff of the office. The parents of the young woman of Kalebail village had filed a complaint at the police station about her disappearance on May 6. Apart from searching for their daughter everywhere, they used to go to the sub-registrar’s office regularly and check the notice board. They were shocked when they found out that their daughter’s marriage was registered on May 9 without any public notice.
2. On May 4, Police arrested an accused in a love jihad case in Dharwad city of Karnataka after an encounter. The accused has been shot in the leg. The accused was identified as Saddam Hussain Limbuwale (19), a resident of Ishwar Nagar in Hubli city. A case was registered against Saddam Hussain in Navanagar police station of Hubli city on charges of raping a 17-year-old minor Hindu girl. 
3. Amid controversy surrounding Prajwal Revanna’s obscene video case, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra alleged a conspiracy and expressed concern over the increasing incidents of love jihad and daylight murders in Karnataka. He criticised the Congress government for not taking the issue seriously and alleged the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
4. In a disturbing incident revealed on April 26, a minor Dalit Hindu girl was brutally raped by an Islamic Jihadi in Hiriyur, Karnataka. The victim, a young girl from the Dalit community, was reportedly subjected to this heinous crime by the brother of her Muslim friend. The accused not only perpetrated this abhorrent act but also issued threats to the victim’s life, adding to the gravity of the situation. Promptly responding to the complaint, the authorities took decisive steps, apprehending the culprit under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act).
5. A 28-year-old married woman in Karnataka’s Belagavi accused Rafik and his wife of manipulating her to convert from Hindu Dharma to Islam, India Today reported. A First Information Report (FIR) against seven people was filed on the woman’s complaint under the Freedom of Religion Act and several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to Belagavi SP Bhimashankar Guleda, the woman was allegedly asked by the accused couple to not wear ‘kumkum‘ and was also forced to wear a burqa and perform namaz five times a day. The woman alleged that she was raped by Rafik in front of his wife last year and that he took her explicit photos using them to blackmail her to convert to Islam.
6. In a horrifying ordeal, a young Hindu woman was subjected to molestation by an Islamist while travelling from Bangalore to Mangalore on a bus to exercise her right to vote. The unsettling incident occurred when Mohammad Azim, a passenger from the Islamic community, engaged in inappropriate behaviour towards her. Displaying remarkable courage, the woman promptly reported the misconduct to the bus driver as Islamist Azim persistently harassed her. However, despite her plea, the driver failed to take appropriate action. Based on the reports, the Hindu woman sought assistance from fellow passengers, who swiftly identified the perpetrator as Islamist Mohammed Azeem from Laila village in Belthangady.
7. A disturbing incident unfolded in Bidar when a minor Hindu girl studying in the 9th grade found herself ensnared in the clutches of an Islamist stalker, Laik Ali. Based on the reports from Sanatan Prabhat, the Islamist perpetrator, Ali, lured the girl into a false sense of affection and then raped her, trapping her in a coercive relationship. The perpetrator threatened to harm her family and proceeded to rape her. He also took explicit photographs of her and used them as leverage, threatening to disseminate them on social media unless she complied with his demands. A case was filed with the police in connection with these crimes.
8. In a tragic incident that occurred on April 19, Thursday, a 24-year-old female student named Neha Hiremath was fatally stabbed on her college campus in Hubballi. Based on the reports from OpIndia, the incident took place at B. V. Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology in Hubballi, where Neha was enrolled in the first year of her MCA program. Neha was the daughter of Congress Corporator Niranjan Hiremath. The Islamist assailant, identified as Fayaz, who was also a student at the same college, attacked Neha with a knife, inflicting multiple stab wounds to her neck. The tragic fate of Neha at the hands of extremist Islamist predators sparked widespread outrage. Thousands of Hindu activists, along with organizations like ABVP and students, took to the streets demanding justice.
9. In Hubballi, a Muslim man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Hindu girl who wished to end their friendship in the wake of Neha Hiremath’s murder. The detained individual, identified as Aftab, a fruit vendor, was reported to the authorities by the victim. She recounted being acquainted with him through another Muslim classmate. A probe into the incident has been launched by the police. Renuka Sukumar, the Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissioner, confirmed the arrest of the accused, Aftab, in connection to the case.
10. After Neha’s murder case, another love jihad case has come to light in Hubballi. An Islamist youth had lured a minor Hindu girl and brought her from Bagalkote district to Hubballi. The leaders of Hindu Jagarana Vedike noticed that he was roaming in Gabbur’s hotel with the girl and brought him to Bendigeri Police Station in Hubballi. Earlier, a case of a missing minor girl had been registered in Mudhol of Bagalkote district. The workers of Hindu Jagarana Vedike, who brought both of them, raised Jai Shri Ram slogans in front of the police station protesting against the deception of Hindu girls by Islamists.
11. In February this year, a Hindu female PhD student in Mangalore, Karnataka, was reported missing for eight days. Hindu organizations described it as a case of love jihad. The 27-year-old girl’s last known location was Derlakatte, on the outskirts of Mangaluru. According to the information gathered thus far, a Muslim man named Shahrukh from Puttur paid infrequent visits to the student’s paying guest accommodation in Mangalore. It is claimed that both were in a relationship.
12. In another incident of grooming jihad, a case emerged in the Mandya district, where a Muslim individual allegedly deceived a minor Hindu girl (15) by assuming a different identity and subsequently groomed and lured her to come with him. The accused was identified as 19-year-old Sayyad Tabrez. According to reports, both the accused and the victim reside in the same locality. Tabrez had reportedly been grooming the minor for an extended period, and on January 12, he absconded with her. Upon discovering the incident, the girl’s parents filed a complaint against Tabrez under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. Subsequent to the case registration, the police launched an investigation. The girl was later located and returned to her parents.
13. The Hebbagodi police in Bengaluru have registered an FIR against Murif Ashraf Baig, the software engineer from Kashmir, against whom a software professional from Bengaluru, Karnataka had levelled charges of love jihad. The accused is a native of Srinagar and has been working in an IT firm in Bengaluru. The victim revealed that she was subjected to “rape, unnatural sex and forced religious conversion.” She conveyed that the offender had extracted money from her and when she told him to return the amount, she was threatened with harm. He gained her trust, promised to marry her and continued to demand money. 
14. A much-circulated myth about radical Islamists lay shattered when several, including a lady doctor, were charged for forced conversion to Islam in Mangaluru. The misbelief is that only illiterate Muslims try to convert. All the accused were booked under the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2022, for allegedly attempting to convert a young Hindu girl to Islam forcefully. 
15. A women’s group, ‘Shaheen Gang’ active in the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) outfit, was involved in enticing Hindu girls into Love Jihad. This was unearthed during an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This well-trained ‘Shaheen Gang’ worked in tandem with Campus Front of India (CFI), the student wing of PFI. They would introduce Hindu girls to Muslim boys and influence them to start a relationship. Later, the girls would be trapped using standard Love Jihad tactics. The gang was active in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu and Shivamogga.