Lucknow: A 22-year-old woman returned to her in-laws place ten days after she was taken to a shelter home, while her husband was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for ‘love jihad’.
Pinki was allowed to return to her in-laws home after she told a magistrate that she is an adult who married Rashid, a Muslim, at her own will and wants to go back to his family.
After her husband’s arrest, she told media that the couple along with Rashid’s elder brother Saleem, were going to get their marriage registered when they were stopped by Bajrang dal activists. Following this the police arrested her husband and brother-in-law under the under the anti-conversion law passed last month.
While the two brothers continue to remain in jail, police said that they will seek legal opinion on the matter and investigate if the couple had married before the law was passed.
“All details, including Pinki’s claim of nikah and conversion, would be verified. Documents related to the claim would be checked. The police will also get a statement of the girl’s family members and others,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Moradabad, Prabhakar Chaudhary told Indian Express.
The woman is three months pregnant and there were reports that she suffered a miscarriage which were later denied by officials.
Police in Uttar Pradesh has been on a lookout and has been cracking down on marriages all over Uttar Pradesh since the passing of the law. At least 10 Muslim men have been arrested under the law till now.
What is the anti-conversion law?
According to the law, if a person intends to change their religion, they must serve a notice to the District Magistrate. This would be followed by enquiries into whether the conversion was consensual or not.
Interfaith couples wishing to get married will have to opt for the Special Marriage act and risk being jailed for 5 years if they convert before or after marriage.