Twist in ‘Love Jihad’ as girl asks boy to change his religion before marriage

Jaipur: Amidst the controversy surrounding love jihad across the country, a couple who fled their house on Tuesday was brought to Maha Mandir police station in Jodhpur. The couple had gone to Bikaner seeking the help of the local police there to get married. Both are adults however when the local police asked for information from Jodhpur they came to know that a report about the girl’s disappearance had already been filed at Maha Mandir police station. The girl is from Brahmin community while the boy is a Muslim.

As the news of the couple being brought back to Jodhpur spread, the members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other organizations reached the police station and demonstrated. Reportedly, they also tried to beat the boy who was saved by the police. People protested against the incident calling it a case of Love Jihad. Police then presented the couple in court and got their statements recorded in front of the magistrate.

The girl stated that she wasn’t forced for anything and wasn’t under any kind of pressure however her other demanded surprised many people. She stated that she wanted the boy to change his religion. She said that only then she would marry him. She said that she would wait until this happens. The police accepted her request for letting her go with her aunt’s son.

The girl is a first year BA student while the boy is a school drop out and drives an auto-rickshaw. A case of disappearance was filed at Maha Mandir police station by the girl’s brother Deepak Joshi. He stated that his 20-year old sister had not returned home since 11 am. Once the police started investigating the matter they got the information that the couple was in Bikaner. They reside in the same colony in Jodhpur. After they were brought to the police station in Jodhpur, they denied returning to their respective homes.