Following Assault by Hindu Extremists, Man Booked Under MP's Anti-Conversion Law

The girl's parents had earlier denied any 'love jihad' angle in the incident.

Image used for representation.

(Photo: The Quint)

Asif Sheikh, the Muslim man who was dragged out of a train and thrashed on a railway station in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, was booked under the state's anti-conversion law on Monday, 24 January.

Speaking to The Quint, Mhow PS incharge, Indore, Arun Solanki said:

"An FIR was registered based on the complaint of the lady on Sunday, 23 January, and the accused, Asif, has been arrested yesterday (Monday) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 384 (extortion), and Section 3 and 5 of the MP Freedom of Religion Act, 2021."

He added, "The victim has accused Asif of blackmailing and pressuring for conversion. She said that Asif had secretly taken her pictures and was blackmailing her."

The police officer also claimed that Sheikh had started pressuring and blackmailing her to marry him and change her religion.

What the Complaint Said

In her complaint, the woman indicated that Asif, who is a resident of Ajad Nagar in Indore, used to frequently visit her home.

"My husband introduced me to Asif. He took wrong advantage of our friendship. Asif had clicked some objectionable photos of mine. He later started threatening me with life and said that he will make my photos viral and took money from me," the statement read.

The woman added that she was being pressured into converting to Islam, and only followed Sheikh's instructions owing to the fear of ruining her and her husband's 'image'.

What Had Happened on the Station?

On the night of 14 January, Shiekh and the Hindu woman were spotted travelling together and were dragged out of an AC coach of the train at Ujjain railway station by members of Bajrang Dal. The goons thrashed Sheikh alleging ‘Love Jihad’.

Both the woman and Sheikh were let off after the police intervened in the matter and both their parents denied any 'love jihad' angle in the incident, IANS reported.

In a viral video following the assault, the woman could be heard questioning the Bajrang Dal members over why they were filming her without her consent.

She was quoted as saying, “Your one misunderstanding has ruined my life. You are clicking photos, making videos, at least ask me. I am an adult and I know what’s right or wrong. I am professionally a teacher and I teach students of Classes 11 and 12."