In Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, a case of forced conversion and sexual assault has come to the fore. A woman named Sunita Jatav, who is from Chattisgarh, was forced by one Sohail Khan to marry him and convert to Islam. The woman was repeatedly forced by Sohail to follow Islamic rituals after which she lodged a police complaint at Bahodapur police station. The accused has been arrested by the police.
In her complaint, Sunita Jatav accused Sohail Khan of forcefully converting her to Islam and raping her. This is her second marriage. From her first marriage, Sunita has a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son.
According to the FIR filed, Sunita’s parents died when she was young, and she was raised by relatives. However, her relatives got her married when she was just 12, and after the marriage, she gave birth to a son and a daughter. But her husband was abusive, and he used to assault her physically. Therefore, she left Chattishgarh 9 years ago and moved to Gwalior in Madya Pradesh when she was pregnant with her second child. In Gwalior, she took a job in a factory and started living in a rented place.
Sunita informed the police that after moving from Chattisgarh to Gwalior’s Khatik, she met Sohail Khan while working in the factory. Sohail used to visit her residence frequently, and they developed a relationship. Following that, the two started to live together in a live-in relationship. Once she became pregnant during this time, but the pregnancy didn’t last due to some reason.
After together normally for 4-5 years, Sohail changed and started to abuse her. He started to sexually assault Sunita, threatening to kill her. He also started to assault her when she worshipped Hindu deities.
In 2020 during the lockdown, Sohail forcefully converted Sunita to Islam and had Nikah rituals performed. Sunita has alleged that Sohail threatened to kill her son if she refuses to marry him and convert. After the Nikah, he stopped Sunita from following Hindu traditions and changed her name to Sultana Bano.
On the basis of the victim’s complaint, an FIR has been registered under section 376(2)(N), 506 IPC, and Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021. Accused Sohail Khan has been arrested and the Police investigation is underway.
Reportedly, upon receiving information, several Bajrang Dal activists reached the police station and staged a protest saying that they will not let another Hindu girl become Shraddha Walkar.
In a similar case, On November 18, Indore police arrested a 32-year-old Muslim man for forcing his Hindu wife to convert to Islam. The accused has been identified as Rubab Shah.
Khajrana police station officer Dinesh Verma briefing about the case said that the accused who is a fourth-year homeopathy student has been booked for using fraudulent ways and forcing the victim to change her religion, which goes in violation of the provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021.
