The parents of a Hindu-born woman who converted to Islam and married a Muslim man approached the Hyderabad police on Sunday claiming that their daughter was brainwashed and dubbing it a case of ‘Love Jihad’. Kotte Indhira, who was living with her parents at Adilabad in Telangana, had married Mohammed Rizwan Ahmed on July 29, 2018. Before the wedding, she decided to convert to Islam.
Following the allegations by her parents, the woman came forward to say that she was not forced and that she converted to Islam of her own free will. The ‘Certificate of Acceptance of Islam’ (a copy of which is with TNM) was issued on May 23, 2018 and states that Kotte Indhira, born on January 17, 1997, was voluntarily converting to Islam and had adopted the name Zunaira Narmin.
Almost a year after the incident, her parents have now come forward and lodged a complaint with the Punjagutta police in Hyderabad.
“Even if they are both majors, why aren’t they coming to the police station and showing us their face? Our daughter is not safe and we want to see her face,” the woman’s mother said, speaking to reporters after filing the complaint.
“Where is our daughter? She was forcibly converted and a plan is being hatched to ‘sell’ her off in Dubai or Syria. This is definitely a case of love jihad. My daughter has been trapped and brainwashed,” her father alleged, adding, “If we don’t get justice, we will kill ourselves.”
Police said that the parents were aware of the marriage and that an inspector even called the couple in their presence to prove that the wedding took place with consent. While the parents allege that they realised only last week that their daughter had converted, investigation officials deny the claim.
Speaking to reporters, Punjagutta ACP Tirupatanna said, “The couple married in July 2018 with consent. Her parents knew of the incident at the time. If the parents have any proof of forced conversion, they can come forward with the same.”
B Mohan Kumar, the SHO of Punjagutta police station, told TNM that no case had been registered and further action would be taken if there was any evidence found to back up the complaint of the parents.
Meanwhile, the woman in question also spoke to reporters on Sunday evening and said, “Whatever news is being spread about me, it is fake. I have converted and married according to my wishes. Nobody has forced me. In India, everyone is free to practise whichever religion they want. If anyone has a problem, it is their problem and not mine. I am a major and I am free to do this.”