After disappearing from her home, a minor girl named Neena converted to Islam and married off to Mehdi Hassan.
A minor girl named Neena is of the Gujarati community, who lives in Kot Ghulam Mohammad, disappeared from her home around 2:00 or 3:00 am on April 22, 2024. Her family discovered in the early morning that she was missing. The girl’s family alleged that Mehdi Hassan, also known as Mido Khaskheli was involved in in her disappearance.
It is reported that Mehdi had Neena converted to her religion at Pir Sarhandi shrine and then married her.
Mehdi is twice the age of a girl and already married to a woman with whom he has three children, said Neena’s brother, Jeevan. How could it be possible for a married man to marry again without the permission of his first wife? Jeevan asked.
The Rise News spoke by phone to the girl’s father, Ashok, who stated that he went to the police to register a First Information Report (FIR). However, the police are said to have refused to lodge an FIR, adopting delayed tactics instead, possibly to give the accused Mehdi, enough time to convert girl’s religion.
Ashok has three children and Neena is second among them. He and his family feel helpless and hopeless because the accused had assistance from the police in converting the girl’s religion.
Human Rights activist, Shiva Kachhi said that it was not the first case of conversion where the police were clearly seen providing support to the alleged offender to reach a shrine for conversion girl’s religion and then marry her off to the man. Later, the police excused themselves from registering an FIR, claiming that the girl had converted to Islam. This is exactly what happened in Neena’s case.
When asked to Jeevan about The Child Marriage Restraint Act, which prevents girl or boy from marrying until they reach majority age, Jeevan responded that his family would fight to return their daughter; otherwise, their efforts would go in vain.
(The article was published on Therisenews.com on April 24, 2024 and has been reproduced here)
