logo
'Love Jihad' Accused Says He Is A Victim, Wants To Convert Again

'Love Jihad' Accused Says He Is A Victim, Wants To Convert Again

NDTV3 days ago
Agra:
A man arrested in a large-scale illegal religious conversion racket has said that he is also a victim and that he wants to convert to Hinduism again, sources told NDTV on Monday. Mohammad Ali is among 10 people who were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police from six states in the 'love jihad' case last Saturday.
The probe began in Agra in March after two sisters -- aged 33 and 18 -- were reported missing. Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar had said preliminary investigations found that the sisters were targeted by a gang involved in ' love jihad ' and radicalisation.
"We found clues about their funding originating from the US and Canada," he had said.
. @dgpup श्री राजीव कृष्ण महोदय एवं ADG कानून-व्यवस्था उ0प्र0 श्री अमिताभ यश महोदय के निर्देशन में पुलिस आयुक्त, आगरा @DeepakKumarIPS2 के नेतृत्व में आगरा पुलिस द्वारा देश के अलग-अलग 6 राज्यों से धर्मान्तरण कराने वाले संगठित गरोह के 10 अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है। इसके लिए… pic.twitter.com/HXNcr4qy2Y
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE AGRA (@agrapolice) July 19, 2025
Ali, a resident of Rajasthan who was Piyush Panwar before converting, has told the police about the conversion network.
Lodged in an Agra jail, he broke down during the initial interrogation by the police and said that he wanted to return home, sources said.
He also said he wanted to leave Islam and become a Hindu.
He said he wants to apologise to his parents, who broke ties with him after he converted to Islam.
How Piyush Panwar Became Mohammad Ali
The story of Piyush Panwar becoming Mohammad Ali started in 2021, when he first met Shana, a woman from Rajasthan's Tonk. They then fell in love and decided to get married, sources said.
Shana, however, put a condition, saying that Piyush will have to accept Islam. Piyush agreed and changed his name to Mohammad Ali in the same year.
Shana then rejected him after he was converted.
Ali, whose family had cut ties with him, then decided not to convert again and married a Muslim girl from Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, according to sources.
How Mohammad Ali Became Part Of Conversion Racket
While trying to convert to Islam, he had come into contact with Mohammad Gaus, a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI), which was banned by the Centre in 2022 for its alleged links with global terrorist organisations.
Through Gaus, he met a cleric, Kaleem Siddiqui, in Delhi, who was convicted in a separate conversion case last year.
Ali then went to West Bengal for religious education. He stayed in the madrasas in Asansol, Bardhaman and Katwapara for three months.
About a year ago, he came in contact with a woman, Ayesha, from Goa on Instagram. Ayesha, who is also among the 10 people arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police, used to record the names of the girls who were converted to Islam.
The police have said that Ali is a close associate of Ayesha.
Ali, who was arrested in Jaipur, has also told the police that the members of the PFI and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) are also linked with their network.
Besides Ali and Ayesha, the other accused arrested in the case under 'Mission Asmita', an ongoing initiative aimed at dismantling such illegal syndicates, have been identified as Hasan Ali and Osama from Kolkata, Rahman Qureshi from Agra, Abu Talib from Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Abdur Rehman from Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Mohammad Ali and Junaid Qureshi from Rajasthan, and Mustafa from Delhi.
"The modus operandi of the gang involved illegal conversion and radicalisation bears a signature of ISIS," the police had said.
The arrests come days after another man, Chhangur Baba, alias Jamaluddin, the mastermind of a religious conversion gang, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

3 sentenced to 7 years in jail by NIA court in 2020 Bengaluru riots case
3 sentenced to 7 years in jail by NIA court in 2020 Bengaluru riots case

Indian Express

time2 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

3 sentenced to 7 years in jail by NIA court in 2020 Bengaluru riots case

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court Wednesday sentenced three men to seven years rigorous imprisonment after they pleaded guilty during charge-framing proceedings in connection with the 2020 Bengaluru riots case. The convicts are Syed Ikramuddin alias Syed Naveed, 44; Syed Asif, 46; and Mohammed Atif, 26, who faced charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act (KPDLP), and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The case dates back to the mob violence that erupted on August 11, 2020, targeting Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy's residence and police stations in the K G Halli and D J Halli areas. The unrest was triggered by an allegedly provocative social media post attributed to the MLA's nephew. It resulted in three deaths during police firing and widespread property destruction throughout the locality. The NIA subsequently took over the probe from the local police. As many as 199 were named accused in the case, of whom 187 were arrested, four surrendered, and one died. The prosecution filed a chargesheet against 138 accused. NIA investigations revealed critical links between the accused and the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) along with its political wing, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The agency claimed that PFI members allegedly orchestrated the violence strategically to inflame communal tensions and destabilise state institutions. Special Public Prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar, representing the NIA, said, 'Police are custodians of law and public order. Attacks against them erode public confidence in their peacekeeping abilities.' Kumar said the judgment 'restores public confidence in police forces while validating the Centre's decision to designate the PFI as unlawful'. In 2022, the Centre declared PFI unlawful due to its alleged involvement in serious offences, including terrorism and its financing, targeted killings, and activities deemed prejudicial to the integrity, security, and sovereignty of the country. The ban followed a multi-agency crackdown on the PFI, arrests of several of its leaders, seizure of its accounts, and investigations into alleged terror links and activities.

Hindu temple in Australia vandalised with 'hateful racial slurs'
Hindu temple in Australia vandalised with 'hateful racial slurs'

Time of India

time2 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Hindu temple in Australia vandalised with 'hateful racial slurs'

A Hindu temple and several Asian-run businesses in Melbourne's eastern suburbs were defaced with racist graffiti, prompting a police investigation and widespread condemnation. The Shree Swaminarayan Temple, along with two restaurants and a healing centre, were targeted with hateful slurs. This incident has sparked outrage and calls for unity among interfaith groups, highlighting concerns about rising racism. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Boronia, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, was vandalised with racist graffiti this week, triggering police investigation and community outrage. The same slurs were also painted on two nearby Asian-run restaurants, according to Australia have confirmed four locations were targeted, all believed to be linked reading 'Go Home' was spray-painted in red across the walls of the Hindu temple on Wadhurst Drive and two restaurants located on Boronia Road. A healing centre on Mountain Highway was also defaced on the same Police confirmed that the matter is under active investigation. 'Police are investigating following reports of graffiti in Bayswater and Boronia on 21 July. There is absolutely no place at all in our society for hate-based and racist behaviour,' a police spokesperson told Australia Today. The graffiti was first found on the healing centre, followed by the temple at around 9:30 am, and later on two restaurants. Investigators believe the incidents are Bhagwat, President of the Hindu Council of Australia's Victoria chapter, said the act had shocked the Indian-Australian community . 'Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity,' Bhagwat said. The temple, which conducts daily prayers, community meals, and festivals, serves worshippers from across Melbourne. 'To have it targeted in this way feels like an attack on our identity, our right to worship and freedom of religion.'While Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has not issued a public statement, Australia Today reported that she sent a letter of support to the temple's management. 'The Shree Swaminarayan Temple is so much more than a place of worship – it's a place of warmth and community,' Allan wrote. 'What happened this week was hateful, racist and deeply disturbing. It wasn't just vandalism – it was a deliberate act of hate, designed to intimidate, isolate, and spread fear.'The Premier added, 'It was an attack on your right to feel safe and to belong, and on the values that bind us together. There's no place for it anywhere in Victoria. And it must be called out for what it is.'She also mentioned local MP Jackson Taylor's involvement and assured that the Minister for Multicultural Affairs would soon visit the temple. 'We stand beside you, with respect and unwavering support,' Allan's message of the Hindu community have urged interfaith groups to stand united in response to the incident. Vikrant Thakur, a community representative, said, 'We want to show that love and solidarity triumph over hate.' The City of Greater Knox's Multifaith Network has pledged its support to the affected two days earlier, 23-year-old Indian student Charanpreet Singh was attacked on an Adelaide street. The incident reportedly followed a verbal altercation over parking. 'They just said 'f--- off, Indian', and after that they just started punching,' Singh told 9News. 'I tried to fight back, but they beat me until I was unconscious.'He was hospitalised with serious injuries, including brain trauma and facial fractures. One 20-year-old suspect has been arrested, while others remain at enforcement authorities in both Victoria and South Australia have increased patrols in affected areas. Investigations into both the temple vandalism and the Adelaide assault are ongoing, with officials calling for community vigilance and cooperation.

Bengaluru Man Records Women Secretly, Posts Obscene Videos On Instagram; Arrested
Bengaluru Man Records Women Secretly, Posts Obscene Videos On Instagram; Arrested

News18

time36 minutes ago

  • News18

Bengaluru Man Records Women Secretly, Posts Obscene Videos On Instagram; Arrested

Last Updated: Hussain confessed to recording and uploading 14 such videos in the past three months, according to the police. A 19-year-old man in Bengaluru was arrested after he allegedly uploaded videos of women, recording them secretly, on Instagram. The man identified as Dilavar Hussain, MD, had an Instagram account under the name 'Dilbar Jaani-67'. The incident came to light after the Ashok Nagar Police found the uploaded video online. The officials are keeping a track of such content and are monitoring social media handles. The police have filed a suo moto case after finding the content obscene, reported India Today. Hussain hails from Manipur and works as a delivery agent for a food delivery company in Bengaluru. According to the police cited by India Today, the videos uploaded on social media featured women walking in public premises including MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, Koramangala and Indiranagar. The complaint mentions that the clips were posted to gain followers. An FIR has been lodged under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, pertaining to posting or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. Authorities have formally requested Instagram to remove the account in question. The individual has not yet been presented before the court. The incident comes only a few days after Bengaluru Police arrested a 26-year-old man for posting videos of women without their consent. One of the women found her video, taken without her consent, and reported it. She also requested its removal; however, she didn't get any response. She reportedly also received vulgar messages on her Instagram account after the video went viral. The police arrested the accused after she took to her social media account and raised concern over the issue. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store