Man arrested in UP for illegal religious conversion

A man has been arrested in a case of unlawful religious conversion in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar district.

The man befriended a married woman belonging to a Dalit family on Facebook, eloped with her and converted her to Islam.

The accused has been arrested, along with five others, and booked under sections 504 and 506 of the IPC, the SC/ST Act, and relevant provisions of Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law.

Deputy Police Superintendent (DSP), Siddharth Nagar said that Shailesh Kumar got married to Lakshmi four years ago.

However, on the night of May 31 this year, Lakshmi suddenly went missing from their home, taking with her Rs 55,000 and gold jewellery.

The family members immediately reported the incident to the police station and demanded action.

Two days later, it was discovered that Sazaullah, a resident of Siswan village in the district, had befriended Shailesh's wife on Facebook and taken her to Mumbaialong with some accomplices.

In Mumbai, they carried out a religious conversion and changed her name from Lakshmi to Muskaan.

Subsequently, Sazaullah married 'Muskaan' in a nikah ceremony.

Relatives of the woman reached Mumbai and, after counselling both parties, managed to bring her back to her family home.

Shailesh said that he got to know of Sazaullah's connection with his wife after he spoke to Lakshmi's cousin. The cousin revealed that Lakshmi used to chat on Facebook with a boy from Siswan village, and the two also talked over the phone.

Shailesh also said that Lakshmi had contacted her uncle, who lives in Kalyan, from Nashik before she was taken to Mumbai.

Lakshmi reportedly told her uncle that she was taken to Mumbai forcibly and wanted to leave. After that, her phone was switched off. (IANS/NS)