UP Cops Stop Wedding, Detain Couple Over ‘Love Jihad’ Rumours

Ali claimed that he was beaten with a belt and tortured by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

‘Love jihad’ laws are being planned by several BJP states.

(Illustration: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday, 8 December, stopped a wedding ceremony in Kushinagar and took away the couple, after a tip-off claiming that the Hindu woman was made to convert to Islam for marriage, reported The Indian Express. The couple identified as 39-year-old Haider Ali and 28-year-old Shabeela Khatoon, were let go the next day after finding that they both were Muslims.

The couple reportedly got married on 9 December, after the brother of the bride said that the family had no objection to their marriage.

Ali claimed that he was beaten with a belt and tortured. However, the UP Police denied it, and blamed "miscreants" for spreading "love jihad" rumours, reported The Indian Express, quoting the police.

“It was not like the couple were brought to the police station in secret. Also, the matter was soon sorted… There was no reason to beat up anyone.”

Vinod Kumar Singh, Kushinagar SP

Ali, on the other and, told the newspaper that the police tried to skin him.

“One of the policemen asked another to skin me… I tried to talk to them… When Shabeela heard me crying, she panicked. The policemen asked her about her family but she was scared. Only around 9 pm could I convince her to tell the police her brother’s number.

The watchman from Ali’s village Gurmiya in Kushinagar, Mushtaqeem Ali, admitted making the call to the cops after Hindu locals approached him saying a ‘love jihad’ wedding was being held. He added that he felt it was his “duty” to pass on the message.

Ali said Shabeela and he have known each other for a “long time” and Shabeela ran away from her home in Azamgarh and moved into his rented room.

Ever since Uttar Pradesh passed its new anti-conversion ordinance, earlier in November, multiple reports have revealed weddings being stopped in the name of ‘love jihad.’ At least five cases have been lodged since the ordinance became a law.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)