Three of Gujarat family converting to Islam, kin attempting suicide: Hindu outfits hold rally

PALANPUR: Thousands of people joined a rally taken out by Hindu outfits on Saturday in Gujarat's Deesa town to protest against a case of three members of a family converting to Islam, which led to one of their kin attempting suicide.

Superintendent of Police Akshay Raj Makwana said the rally passed off peacefully, with the only hitch coming from a group that took a different route from the one for which permission was given by authorities.

"A large number of people joined the rally held in Deesa town on Saturday. The rally was to be taken out on the route that was previously determined. It passed off peacefully, and there was no disturbance of law and order," he told reporters.

"A group of people in the rally took a different route from what was determined. Police tried to explain to them about this without resorting to heavy baton charge or inflicting injuries," he said when asked about some protesters getting injured in baton charge.

Makwana said two out of the five accused in the case of abetment of suicide and extortion that triggered the protest have been arrested, while efforts were on the nab the rest.

As per the FIR lodged at Palanpur (East) police station on April 28, one Haresh Solanki, who tried to kill himself by consuming poison, has said he was depressed over his wife, son and daughter converting to Islam and proceeding to live separately from the family.

Five members of one Sheikh family were booked under sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) for allegedly forcing Solanki to either convert to Islam or give them Rs 25 lakh in order to meet his family members.