'Forcible religious conversion' of woman: UP police says 3 Muslim men wrongly framed in case

Two days after a case was lodged against three Muslim men for the alleged forcible religious conversion of a 24-year-old woman in this Uttar Pradesh district, police on Sunday said they were incorrectly framed.

"On September 9, 2020, she left home along with a man named Abrar. Subsequently, a complaint of abduction was lodged at the Fareedpur police station. The woman stayed with Abrar in Delhi's Tughlaqabad for around 15 days and then returned home," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Bareilly Rohit Singh Sajwan told PTI.

The case against the three Muslim men was registered on January 1.

"According to the complainant, on December 1 last year, when the girl was returning home in Fareedpur, Abrar, along with his cousins Maisur and Irshad, tried to forcibly convert her religion for 'nikaah'. But the police have found that the accused were not at the spot on that day. According to the evidence collected by the police, the allegations levelled against the three men by the woman and her maternal uncle were wrong and the matter will be dismissed in accordance with provisions of law," the SSP said.

He, however, added that the charge against Abrar of issuing threats to the woman at her in-laws' place is being looked into.

"On December 11, the maternal uncle of the woman got her married in the Aonla area of the district. Abrar went to the woman's in-laws' place and told her to come to Fareedpur soon or else, she will face difficulties. This is being examined and if the allegation is found to be true, action will be initiated against Abrar," the SSP said.