A case has been registered against five minor Muslim girls under the anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly forcing their 16-year-old Hindu friend to wear a burqa, The Times of India reported on Saturday.
While the alleged incident took place in Moradabad district’s Bilari town in December, it came to light after the police said they have filed a case in the matter following a complaint by the Hindu girl’s brother, the newspaper reported.
The five minors have been booked under sections 3 and 5(1) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, which prohibits religious conversions by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion and allurement.
Kunwar Akash Singh, the superintendent of police (rural) in Moradabad, told the newspaper that the investigation into the matter is underway.
The Hindu girl’s brother, Daksh Chaudhary, told The Times of India that his sister “was talking to one of the girls whom she had met about two months back and had been going out regularly with”. The five Muslim girls “who took away my sister in burqa may have had some ill intention”, Chaudhary was quoted as having alleged.
The brother alleged that the Muslim girls had attempted to brainwash his sister to convert to Islam, The New Indian Express reported on Saturday.
On Sunday, Bharat Samachar quoted the Hindu girl as alleging that the Muslim girls had attempted to force her to wear the burqa and convert her religion. “I was told that you would look good wearing a burqa,” the girl told the news portal.
She also alleged that the Muslim girls had earlier insisted her to eat non-vegetarian food.
In response to the video posted on social media, the police reiterated that a case had been registered in the matter and legal proceedings were underway.
A purported video of the incident widely shared on social media showed the girls in an alley. One of them is seen wearing a burqa, with another girl trying to assist her.
The Times of India quoted an unidentified police officer as saying that the girls were “on their way to a restaurant which crosses the victim’s brother’s shop”.
“They didn’t want him to know about it,” the officer was quoted as having said. “Fearful of getting caught, the Hindu girl may have worn her friend's burqa.”
The matter was being probed to find out the background of the girls and whether there was any motive behind their actions, the officer was quoted as saying.
Commenting on the video posted on social media platform X, Moradabad Police had said on January 16 that the investigation had revealed that the girl “had worn the burqa herself only to escape from her brother”.
“No facts related to any criminal incident or religious conversion were found,” the police had said.
It had added that legal action was being taken following a probe against persons posting misleading videos and claims, based on the family’s complaint.
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