No forced conversion in Himachal, say police

There has been no case of forced conversion in Himachal Pradesh, police said Sunday following VHP women's wing's claims that love jihad was taking place in the state.

"No case of forced conversion of the Hindus has been reported," a statement by Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu said.

He said no information of any Bangladesh national residing in the state has been reported so far.

Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had claimed that love jihad was taking place in the state.

It said Saturday it would release data of missing girls who were allured by Muslim men without revealing their identity.

The police officer said 11 recent cases involving marriages or elopement of Hindu women with Muslim men have been reported.

In one of the cases registered in Jogindernagar in Mandi district, a woman informed her mother over telephone that Shabir Ahamed, a mason, had kidnapped her with the intention to marry her but without her consent.

A special investigation team was constituted to probe the case and to trace the victim, it said.

In Kangra district, four cases have been registered involving Hindu men against whom charges have been levelled that they kidnapped Muslim women.

Likewise, a case was registered in Brow in Kullu district against Mursaleen, a resident of Patiala in Punjab, for kidnapping a woman.

The accused is absconding but the girl has been found and is currently residing with her parents, said police.

Durga Vahini's regional coordinator claimed that the Muslim men were marrying local women without revealing their identity.

She said volunteers of the Durga Vahini would soon launch a statewide campaign to sensitize the locals not to get allured by the men who pose as Hindus.