The information was leaked to Hindu groups from the court where the interfaith couple had come to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act
Team Clarion
BHOPAL – A Muslim youth was brutally assaulted by members of a Hindutva group inside a court premises on Friday when he arrived to marry a Hindu woman under the Special Marriage Act.
According to reports, the victim, identified as Shahzad Ahmed from Narsinghpur district, was in a relationship with a woman from Pipariya town.
On Friday, the couple visited a court in Bhopal to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act. However, someone reportedly leaked their details to a Hindutva group. Soon, a mob, including members of the Sanskruti Bachao Manch and other Hindu organisations, arrived at the court, confronted Shahzad, and violently assaulted him.
The attackers accused Shahzad of engaging in ‘Love Jihad,’ a controversial conspiracy theory that claims Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage to convert them to Islam.
Police arrived at the scene and took Shahzad for a medical examination. However, instead of taking immediate action against the assailants, the police arrested the couple and have yet to file an FIR regarding the assault.
When questioned about the viral video of the attack, Thana In-charge Jai Hind Sharma stated that no complaint had been received and that the police had not yet obtained the video evidence.
“No complaint has been filed in this regard, nor has the video reached the police. The matter will be investigated,” Sharma said.
He further mentioned that the police had summoned the woman’s parents and would record her statement regarding consent for the marriage.
“At the court’s directive, residents of Pipariya and Narsinghpur have been taken into custody. The woman’s consent statement will be recorded,” Sharma added.
A chilling video of the assault has since gone viral on social media, showing a group of men brutally attacking Shahzad. The footage captures the mob dragging him to the ground, repeatedly punching him as he sat on a chair. When he fell, they kicked him in the face with their boots, continuing their assault as he cried for help.
Bhopal-based journalist Kashi Kakvi posted the video through his social media handle and said “It is frightening to watch what a young #interfaith couple in India is going through – just to marry legally. As law-abiding citizens, they follow provisions of the Special Marriage Act, but their details get leaked from the Court. When an interfaith couple came to marry in Bhopal Court on Friday afternoon, their details were already out in public”.
“Subsequently, R/W supported lawyers, called VHP and other fanatics, who brutally assaulted the Muslim youth inside the Court premises. Now, the Police are investigating the couple, as usual, not the assailants. Yes ! You heard it right. Same incident reported in Uttrakhand two days ago,” he added.
People from different sections of society have criticised the government over the breakdown of law and order in the state and the Hindutva groups to interfere in couple’s personal life.
Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde said “This is sick. Adults have the right to love and marry whosoever they choose”.
Journalist Sarayu Pani said “An interfaith couple came to get married as per law – to a court premises. And the couple was beaten and is now being “investigated”. This is not a breakdown of law and order. This the new apartheid legal system in action”.
In the BJP-ruled state, Hindu outfits very oftenly target Muslim men over the allegation of ‘Love Jihad’ in the case of interfaith marriages.
In April last year, an interfaith couple was allegedly beaten in Bhopal District Court when they came for a “court marriage” from Harda. Bajarang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) supporters manhandled the couple and handed them over to police.
