No conspiracy found in 'love jihad' cases

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe cases of love jihad in Kanpur, has not found any evidence of foreign funding or organised conspiracy.

The team has submitted its report to the Inspector General (IG) on Monday.

The SIT probed a total of 14 cases, including 11 in which the police have filed a charge sheet against the accused.

IG Mohit Agarwal said, "A total of 14 cases had come up in Kanpur in which the parents had alleged that their daughters were implicated by the boys by deception. The SIT investigated all the cases. Of these 11 cases were found in which some crime was committed and 11 people have been sent to jail."

However, in three cases, the adult women have given a statement in defence of the men, which has contributed to the final report. There has been no further probe in these three cases.

Agrawal further said that in these cases of alleged love jihad, the SIT found that four of the accused men had been in touch with each other. Apart from this, in three cases, the accused had allegedly told their name as that of some other religion.

However, IG Mohit Agarwal also informed that no gang or conspiracy has been revealed in the probe.

"No such thing has been revealed in the investigation so far indicating that they have any gang or they have done all this under a conspiracy by forming an organisation. However, there has been a talk of fraud, they have cheated by changing their name and they have done this with some minor girls too," he said.

Further, it has been alleged that in order to marry girls of other religions, the accused have got the name and religion of the girls changed too. It has also been alleged that the law was not followed in the process of the name change and conversion. The police are expected to take further action in the matter.

The Uttar Pradesh home department had announced last week that a strict law against 'love jihad' will soon be brought in the state.

The home department has sent a proposal on the same to the law department.