'Love Jihad' law: Complaint filed against Hindu family in Gujarat

Barely four days after a bill was passed in the Legislative Assembly to amend the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, a complaint was filed with Vadodara police on Sunday against a family for allegedly "luring" the complainant's sister to "convert her to Hindu religion" through marriage. The amendments in the bill, which have been described by Gujarat minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja as a bill to curb "love jihad", is yet to be made a law.

The complaint was filed by Arbazkhan Pathan against Kalpesh Chauhan and several members of his family with J P Road Police Station in Vadodara on Sunday evening. Pathan has alleged in his complaint, received by the local police, that his 29 years old sister was "lured" to marriage for the purpose of "religious conversion" by fraudulently promising her a "better lifestyle", "economic prosperity" divine blessings, among others. The complainant has sought police action against the accused under the newly introduced Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Read | Gujarat Assembly passes Bill against religious conversion through 'marriage, allurements'

"We know that it is not yet a law yet and police won't register an FIR. But, we want to highlight such inter-faith marriages which the present government also recognise as 'love jihad'. Will the government take action against the Hindu family if their son marries a Muslim daughter. The proposed law will open a Pandora's box in such interfaith marriages it gives authority to everyone to file FIR," said a source close to the family of the complainant.

Despite repeated attempts, J P Road Police Station Inspector B G Chetariya didn't respond to calls and text messages also remained unanswered. When contacted, Kalpesh Chauhan, who has married complainant's sister Nazneen, said, "I don't know about this complaint but their allegations that I have married Nazneen through allurements is false. We have known each other for nearly three years and mutually decided to marry. There is no question of forcing my wife to change of religion." During the telephone interview, Chauhan handed the phone to a woman, who, he said was Nazneen.

"I shouldn't say anything bad about my family but I feel bad that they filed a case. I have been working at a nursing home where I met Kalpesh who runs the ambulance van. We have been in a relationship for the last three years and last month we got married in the court. There is no question of any other motive behind my marriage," the woman on phone said claiming that she was Nazneen.

On April on1, Minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja introduced the controversial bill in the Assembly which was passed amidst a protest by opposition Congress. Although the bill doesn't mention "love jihad" anywhere in its language, Jadeja during the debate hailed Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 as a bill to stop "love jihad" or interfaith marriage done by "trickery" or "allurements." The bill has provision of imprisonment from 3 to 5 years for individuals while 4 to 7 years in case of women, minor or people from scheduled caste and scheduled tribe.

The proposal also targets institutions involved in religious conversion. The draft bill stated that maximum punishment in such cases will be up to 10 years and fine of Rs 5 lakh on each members of the organizations involved. The bill defines "better lifestyle, divine blessings or otherwise" as "allurements". The bill gives right to "any aggrieved person related by blood to lodge FIR."