Indore: Anwar Qadri, a Congress councillor from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly masterminding a “love jihad” conspiracy by paying men to trap Hindu women and converting them to Islam.
The case has not only triggered a major political storm in the state, but also a law and order crisis. The action was taken after three men named Qadri as the person who paid them to target Hindu women.
The matter first came to light two weeks ago when two men, identified as Sahil Sheikh and Altaf Ali, were arrested by the Indore Police following complaints filed at the Banganga police station. Two Hindu women had alleged that the men concealed their religious identities to establish romantic relationships and then sexually assaulted them.
The two accused confessed that they had been offered money by Qadri to lure the women. Sahil was to be paid Rs 2 lakh and Altaf. Their job was to trap Hindu women, marry them, and convert them to Islam.
The police registered a case against Qadri under the Freedom of Religion Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. However, after evaluating his past criminal record and the seriousness of the accusations, the Indore District Collector approved the application of the National Security Act against him.
Authorities also announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to Qadri’s arrest, as he has been absconding since the FIR was registered.
The case intensified further on Wednesday when a Hindu organisation apprehended two Muslim youths from separate flats in Indore, reportedly in compromising positions with Hindu girls. One of the youths, a resident of Bhopal, named Anwar Qadri and alleged he had paid him Rs 2 lakh to lure Hindu girls. This marked the third time Qadri was named by an accused in the ongoing investigation.
Indore Collector Ashish Singh confirmed the imposition of the NSA, citing the grave threat posed to social harmony. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also addressed the matter, saying the Indore Police had been given complete freedom to arrest the absconding councillor. “No one will be spared if found guilty. Law will take its own course,” Yadav said in his statement.
BJP MLA and former Pro Tem Speaker of the state Assembly Rameshwar Sharma demanded that Anwar Qadri be “encountered”, alleging that the Congress was harbouring anti-national elements.
