Bhopal: Authorities in Bhopal demolished the houses of two Muslim men accused in a case involving rape, blackmail, and alleged forced religious conversions. The action was taken in Arjun Nagar on Saturday under heavy security.
District Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh said the families of the accused were tenants and notices were issued before the demolition. He maintained that the structures stood on encroached government land. The houses of Saad and Sahil Khan were pulled down, while action against the home of prime accused Farhan Ali was halted due to a court stay order.
The case surfaced in April when six students of a local engineering college lodged complaints with different police stations. According to the FIRs, the accused men befriended women using false identities, sexually assaulted them, and recorded videos to blackmail them into introducing more women. The complainants also alleged pressure to convert to Islam.
Police arrested five men, including Farhan Ali, a former student of the same college. Investigators said objectionable photos and videos of several women were recovered from their mobile phones. A Special Investigation Team has been set up to handle the case.
State Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang, who represents Bhopal’s Narela constituency, supported the demolition. He described it as a strong step against what he termed “love jihad” and said the government would continue such actions against organised crime. He added that the measures were in line with Supreme Court directions.
It is pertinent to note that the Government of India has stated in Parliament that the term ‘Love Jihad’ is not defined under the law, and no such case has been reported by any of the Central agencies.
