Ullal, KA: Hindu Girl Abducted, Islamist Attempts To Forcefully Convert To Islam, Love Jihad Alleged

A troubling case involving suspected love jihad has surfaced in Ullal, where a Hindu girl, who had gone missing recently, was discovered in the company of a notorious Muslim youth near Pandeshwar station. The girl, a BCA student at a prestigious private college in Mangaluru, was allegedly abducted on 4 July 2024 by Mohammad Ashfaq, identified as an Islamist.

Initially, a complaint was filed at Vidyanagar police station, leading to her rescue from Ashfaq’s custody. However, the girl was reportedly kidnapped again on 30 June 2024, with her father later claiming they were in Kochi, Kerala. Mohammad Ashfaq, already married and with a criminal record of eight cases in Vidyanagar police station in Kasaragod, stands accused of abducting the girl and coercing her conversion to Islam. The girl’s father has lodged a formal complaint with the Mangaluru Police Commissioner regarding his daughter’s abduction.

Vinod, the father, visibly distressed before the media in Mangalore, lamented that his daughter, a college student struggling financially, had left without a job, severing family ties. Vinod, a mason from Vidyanagar, detailed how financial constraints had hampered her education at Srinivas College in Mangalore.

It has emerged that she had been in contact with Mohammad Ashfaq, a resident of Vidyanagar, Kasaragod, known for his criminal history across police stations in the area. Despite family objections, she had apparently stayed with relatives and then reconciled with Ashfaq in Ullal, defying her family’s wishes.

Vinod expressed his anguish, questioning what could be done in such a situation and regretting the turn of events. Following his plea, the police have taken the girl to a counseling center in Mangalore and recorded an FIR, although it was reported that she willingly left with Ashfaq, complicating matters for both the family and law enforcement.

Reacting to the incident, Sharan Kumar Pumpwell, a leader from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, condemned what he termed as love jihad, urging vigilance within the Hindu community. He highlighted an increasing trend of Hindu girls being allegedly targeted for conversion under the guise of relationships and marriage in the coastal region. Pumpwell stressed the necessity for stringent laws to address this issue.

Recent reports underscore a rising concern over love jihad in Karnataka, with a pattern of Islamists reportedly misleading Hindu girls, forming relationships with them, and incidents involving abduction and forced conversions. The situation has raised alarm among Hindu communities, calling for decisive measures to counter such practices.

(With inputs from Hindu Post)

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