'Love jihad': SIT finds criminal angle in some cases, but no conspiracy

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was formed to probe into incidents of 'love jihad' in Kanpur, submitted its report to the Kanpur Range Inspector General and found that some crime or the other was committed in 11 of the 14 cases it investigated.

"Fourteen cases came in Kanpur city in which parents of girls alleged that people of other religions tricked their daughters into a relationship. An SIT was constituted. After investigation, it was found that in 11 out of 14 cases there was some crime.

"Eleven people have been sent to jail. In three cases the girls were not minor, they said that they are in a relationship with boys of other religions of their own free will," Mohit Agarwal, Inspector General, Kanpur Range told reporters.

"In three cases, boys attempted to deceive girls through their nicknames. Girls said they later found out that they belong to some other religion. SIT probe has not indicated any organised conspiracy," he said.

The issue of 'love jihad' has been on the boil for the past few weeks after the death of a 21-year-old college student, who was shot point-blank outside her college allegedly by a stalker and his friend in Ballabgarh in October.

Uttar Pradesh home department recently sent a proposal to the state's law department to form strict legislation against 'love jihad'.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier announced that his government will bring a strict law to curb 'love jihad' and forcible religious conversion, citing an Allahabad high court's order.

The Union home ministry on February 4 this year had clarified that the term 'love jihad' is not defined under the existing laws and no such case has been reported so far.

No such case has been reported by any of the central agencies yet.