Anti-Conversion law: Cops say allegations against 3 Muslim youths false, probe on

Two days after three Muslim youths, including a 24-year-old taxi driver Abrar Khan, were booked for molestation and under new anti-conversion law on a complaint filed by a 24-year-old Hindu woman, Bareilly police on Sunday said that in the preliminary inquiry they found the allegations levelled by the woman to be false.

The 24-year-old woman, who is now married to a Hindu man, filed a complaint on January 1 alleging that on December 1, before she got married, Abrar had stopped her at a crossing in Fareedpur area while she was returning home on her scooty and molested her while trying to pull her down from two-wheeler. She had also alleged that Abrar was forcing her to marry him after converting her to Islam, and when the residents of the area intervened, he escaped with the help of two others. Police had filed the FIR against Abrar, his brother Maisur and friend Israr.

The woman, who also accused Abrar of stalking her, had said that she took a month’s time to report the incident to the police as Abrar had threatened her.

The woman, who has lost her parents, stays with her maternal uncle, and Abrar lives in the same neighbourhood.

However, during inquiry, the police found that on December 1, the three – Abrar, Maisur and Israr – were not in Fareedpur area.

“During our investigation, we found that the accused were not present at the spot on that day when the alleged the incident took place. As per the evidence collected by the police, the allegations levelled against the three men by the woman were wrong. However, police are looking into other allegations against Abrar and two others including that of stalking,” Senior Superintendent of Police (Bareilly) Rohit Singh Sajwan said.

Police also found that the woman had gone “missing” last September and an FIR was filed against Abrar by her maternal uncle, who had accused him of kidnapping her. Abrar was then booked under IPC section 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage etc ).

“However, two weeks later, the woman returned home and told police that she had gone to Delhi on her own. The woman had stayed with Abrar in Delhi for around 15 days and then returned. After the woman gave her statement to the police, no action was taken against Abrar,” the SSP added.

Police also found that on December 11, the maternal uncle of the woman got her married.

“It has been found that Abrar had gone to the woman’s in-laws’ place,” the SSP added.

No one has been arrested in the case so far.

“Investigation in the case is still on,” Station House Officer (Fareedpur) Surendra Singh Pachauri said, adding the FIR against the three was filed under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.