Hindu-Muslim marriages: Kanpur SIT finds no trace of external funding

Lucknow: A Special Investigation Team which probed 14 cases of Muslim men marrying Hindu women in Kanpur did not find any trace of funding by Islamist organisations for the men to marry Hindu women, as alleged by those who asked the police to probe the interreligious marriages.

A senior police officer involved in the investigation told ET that FIRs of 14 cases were collected from the respective stations in Kanpur for detailed study. Requesting anonymity, as the report has not been submitted yet, the officer said in four marriages, no case was made after the four concerned women’s statements negated allegations of force. “In rest of the cases, charge sheets have been based on grounds such as ‘minor status’, use of fake identity, etc. However, we have not been able to trace any flow of external funds from any outfit to the accused for their activities, as alleged,” the officer said.

The team was also asked to investigate whether Muslims men in Juhi Colony, accused of ‘love jihad’ worked as a gang. The officer said the men were in touch with each other but the probe could not conclude if they operated as a gang. The team will submit its report soon.

The SIT was set up in September after parents of some women approached Kanpur IG Mohit Aggarwal alleging their daughters were tricked into marriage and conversion. The parents move was after the case of 22-year old Shalini Yadav, from Kanpur, came to light. Yadav had changed her religion and name willingly after getting married to Mohammad Faisal in Ghaziabad. After her conversion created a row, she released multiple videos on social media saying she had converted willingly and that her marriage should not be linked to ‘love jihad’, a term used by members of the local unit of the Bajrang Dal, an offshoot of the RSS.