Bijnor police have safely rescued a 17-year-old boy from Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, in an alleged forced religious conversion case. The primary accused, Mohd Waseem, was arrested for allegedly forcing the teenager to convert after luring him with the promise of marriage to his daughter, police said on Thursday.
Case Details
Bijnor Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha stated that a case was registered against Waseem at Kotwali police station on May 18 under sections 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. The complaint was filed by Krishna Kumar, a resident of Khanjahanpur Bahadurpur Garhi in Bijnor. Waseem is a resident of Kaziwala village in the same district.
Complaint Allegations
In his complaint, Kumar alleged that his son had accompanied Waseem to Kupwara to learn salon work. During his stay, the teenager was subjected to forced religious conversion and was renamed Mohammad Hamza, Jha added. Following the formal complaint, a police team from Bijnor travelled to Kupwara two days ago to bring back Kumar’s son.
Teen’s Statement
During questioning, the 17-year-old told police that the conversion took place at a mosque in Kupwara’s Manigah area. However, the mosque authorities claimed that the teenager adopted the religion voluntarily. Kumar expressed shock, stating, “My son is a minor. He passed his high school examination in 2023. He returned home on May 5 and left again for Kashmir on May 10. On May 17, we received videos and a letter issued by a local mosque claiming that he had converted. We were shocked after watching the videos.”
Social Media and Investigation
Purported videos of the conversion later circulated on social media, prompting local right-wing groups to become active and meet district officials. According to sources, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and other agencies are also investigating the matter.
