A Hindutva mob on Saturday allegedly intruded into a 24-year-old Hindu woman’s flat and assaulted her male Muslim friends on the allegations of “love jihad” in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, reported The Quint.
“Love jihad” is a debunked Hindutva idea that Muslim men lure Hindu women into romantic relationships in order to convert them to Islam.
The woman was hosting her birthday party on Saturday and had invited her five Muslim friends to attend it. However, the mob, reportedly linked to the Bajrang Dal Hindutva group, entered her home and beat up the Muslim men, according to The Quint.
The mob then took the Muslim men and the woman to city’s MIG Colony police station and forced her to file a complaint, reported Siasat. The woman, however, refused to file a complaint against anyone.
“I can’t comment on if there is a religious angle as investigations are still on,” Sub Inspector Seema Sharma said, according to Siasat.
However, the police on Saturday sent the five Muslim men to jail under Section 151 (any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace) of the Indian Penal Code.
Ajay Verma, the officer in charge of MIG police station, told Scroll.in that the altercation between both the sides had moved from the woman’s flat onto the street. “When the group came to the police station, they gheraoed our station,” he added. “In order to maintain peace at that point, a case was registered against the five men.”
Verma said the men are likely to be released on a bond by Tuesday.
Asked by Scroll.in if a case has been registered against the assaulters, Verma said, “Someone has to come forward and register a complaint against them. We can’t take any action unless someone registers a case.”
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