Four cases of interfaith relationship — for which some right-wing groups use the term ‘love jihad’ — have been lodged in Haryana over the past three years, an RTI reply has revealed. The police have moved to quash FIRs in two of the cases and a third ended in an acquittal. The fourth case is in the court.
The Haryana government is set to bring in a legislation against ‘love jihad’ in the upcoming budget session beginning March 5. State Home Minister Anil Vij had announced framing of a law against ‘love jihad’ in the wake of the Nikita murder case in Faridabad last year.
As per the reply to the RTI application filed by P.P. Kapoor, a Panipat resident, a total of four cases of ‘love jihad’ have been lodged in Ambala, Nuh and Panipat districts.
An FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at Sadar police station in Ambala on May 18, 2018, but the accused was later acquitted. In a similar case lodged at the same police station on October 16, 2019, the police have initiated proceedings seeking to quash the case.
In Nuh’s Punhana, FIR no. 350 was registered on September 12, 2020, under various sections of the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police have initiated proceedings seeking to quash the case. FIR no. 450 was registered at Panipat’s Samalkha police station on July 19, 2019. The matter is in the court.
Mr. Kapoor had written to the police in seven districts: Faridabad, Yamuna Nagar, Hisar, Ambala, Nuh, Panipat and Rewari, seeking details of ‘love jihad’ cases registered since January 1, 2018.
Faridabad, Yamuna Nagar and Hisar police said there were no such cases. The Rewari police are yet to furnish a reply to the RTI that was filed in November last year.
Mr. Kapoor also sought to know the definition of ‘love jihad’ to which many district police replied that it could be accessed on the Internet.
The Nuh police said the term was not Constitutionally defined.
On the number of ‘love jihad’ victims rescued and cases lodged in connection with alleged funding to propagate the activity, the police of all districts replied in the negative. Mr. Kapoor said the RTI reply revealed that a false narrative of ‘love jihad’ is being propagated for political reasons.
He said he had sought data from the seven districts as a section of the media had been reporting that dozens of Hindu girls had fallen prey to ‘love jihad’ in these districts.
Mr. Kapoor had written to the office of the Director General of Police and the Haryana State Women Commission seeking similar details in November last year but did not get any information.
