Nikita Jain and Mohammad Qasim
When one enters Subhash Colony, located in Rajasthan’s Beawar District of Vijaynagar town, the quaint-looking houses lined up neatly give you a sense of Rajasthan’s architectural beauty. In front of one of the houses, white and pink bougainvillea shine under the sun.
But within these walls are families unaware of what the future holds for them.
Once a peaceful neighborhood, this colony has become a topic of discussion due to a recent case that has shaken the country.
On February 15 and 16, Muslim youths were arrested on allegations of molestation and religious conversion.
Although the case is still being investigated by the Rajasthan Police, locals have started questioning the allegations, calling them bogus and fake.
Nazia, 20, sits in a pink T-shirt and pajamas, holding her mother, Afsana, who is holding back her tears.
Nazia’s 18-year-old brother, Sohail Mansuri, is one of the accused in the matter. “He is innocent. They are framing him on false charges. Both he and the girl used to talk on the phone consensually,” she told Maktoob.
Till now, nine Muslim youths have been arrested by the Rajasthan Police on allegations that they were forcing a few underage Hindu girls into conversion.
The case came into focus when local Bajrang Dal and VHP groups started pressuring the authorities to look into the matter.
“They are making a case out of something where some young people were just talking, and turning it into something so sinister,” Nazia added.
A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), with three FIRs filed so far.
The Rajasthan Police have said they are investigating a so-called ‘racket’ where Muslim men allegedly lure Hindu girls and convert them—an allegation that has baffled the entire community.
Sequence of events
Waheed Rehman, Nazia’s uncle, told correspondents that in January he received a phone call from one of the girls’ uncles.
The girls mostly belong to the Scheduled Caste community, while one is Brahmin.
“I received a call from the girl’s uncle (mama), who is my friend, asking me to speak to Suhail, who was talking to his niece. He asked me to stop them from talking,” he added.
Rehman informed Suhail’s family, and after intervention, it was decided that Suhail would no longer speak to the girl.
“I had good relations with the uncle, but I had no idea they would blow this thing out of proportion like this,” he added.
Most of the boys come from economically weak families, working as painters and daily wage laborers.
Rehman said the case is being spun as a conspiracy.
His son, who is a minor and was working in Jaipur, was also implicated in the case. “He was called here by the police, who claimed he was part of the gang. At the time, my son was in Jaipur, and I called him here myself. I handed him over to the police thinking this was all fake. But they have roped all of them in,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nazia said she was aware that Suhail and the girl were in contact. According to complaints accessed by Maktoob, a café named Sky Deck was where they met.
“There are allegations that these boys did something there, but the whole café is an open space—there’s literally no privacy there,” she added.
The owner of the café, who is a Jaat, has also been arrested in the matter.
According to Nazia, Suhail had been talking to the girl for the last six months and everything was friendly. “If it was forceful, why would they keep talking? The authorities can check the call records and see for themselves,” she added.
Afsana, unable to hold back her tears, kept repeating, “My son is innocent.”
“She was the first girl he ever spoke to, and this happened,” she added.
Locals have alleged that normal conversations and meetings are being branded as ‘love jihad’ by Hindu groups.
Police arrests and ‘love jihad’ conspiracy
Maktoob met the Superintendent of Police of Beawar, Shyam Singh, who said they are investigating the matter. When asked whether there is an angle of ‘love jihad,’ he said, “Whatever we have, we are investigating it, and only then will things be revealed.”
However, Station House Officer Karan Singh said, “People are upset on the ground and are saying a lot of things.”
“Things will be clear after the investigation,” he added.
Calling it a “big racket,” local right-wing groups have alleged that Muslim men are getting into relationships with Hindu girls and converting them.
Maktoob attended a meeting inside a temple at Gulabpura, located a few kilometres away from Vijaynagar. The men, who were part of Bajrang Dal and VHP groups, were giving hate speeches, asserting that strict action needs to be taken against Muslims. There were also conversations about forcefully shutting down Muslim shops and madrasas.
Speaking to Maktoob after the meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dhanraj Gujjar, who is also the ex-chairman of Gulabpura Nagar Palika, said they are taking up the issue as it has become a menace. “There are so many girls who are now scared to step out of the house because these men are doing this. This is a whole racket, and we will not stop working on it,” he said.
When asked whether the girls have complained about this, Gujjar said that the girls are not coming forward due to fear of society.
Meanwhile, in their complaint, the girls have alleged that they spoke to the boys, who then tried to get physical with them and also forced them to read kalma and keep fast during Ramzan.
Gujjar, who has now become the leading voice in pushing this agenda forward, warned the Muslim community, adding that “if the police do not take strict action, then the consequences will be harsh for everyone to bear.”
Hindus come out in support of Muslims
While the Rajasthan Police dodge questions on these allegations, locals have alleged a conspiracy to create enmity between Muslims and Hindus.
Maktoob spoke to Hindus in Subhash Nagar who have strongly condemned the entire conspiracy, calling it bogus and hateful.
Maya Devi, who lives a few houses away from Nazia, was standing inside her house. Holding both the concerned mother and daughter, she said it is disgusting how these young boys have been framed.
“We have seen them grow up in front of our eyes, and I can say very confidently that all the allegations against them are false,” she said.
Standing with a group of men and women, Devi, who belongs to the SC community, said the whole colony is supporting the families. “These politicians are trying to create enmity between us, but we all have grown up together. We have never seen this kind of hate here. These boys are innocent,” she added.
Behind her, Choti Devi said that without any investigation, the “boys were arrested.”
“We are here for the family and are so sad to see them suffer like this. None of us are able to eat,” Devi said.
Located merely 68 kilometres away from Ajmer, Vijaynagar has now become a hotbed of tension.
Regular rallies are being carried out by Hindutva groups, who are also demanding the demolition of these houses.
Bulldozer Politics
Dhanraj Gujjar, while speaking to Maktoob, said that they want the “Uttar Pradesh model” to be implemented here as well.
“What Yogi has done in UP, we need to have the same kind of implementation here too,” he added.
Soon after the alleged accused were arrested, notices were sent to the families’ houses. Notices were also sent to the local Jama Masjid mosque and the cemetery.
The notices, issued by the municipal corporation, asked the families to show papers proving ownership of their houses. They further stated that if they failed to do so, they could face stringent actions, including possible eviction from the property.
The same notice was sent to the local mosque. Speaking to correspondents, Mohammad Jalal Haji, Jama Masjid Sadar, said they were baffled by the notices sent to them.
“This mosque is 100 years old, and we have all the documents to prove it. We are complying with the authorities, but this is a blatant attack on the Muslim community,” he said.
Maktoob reported how, on Monday, the gates of the cemetery were locked by the authorities.
On the same day, part of the structure of one of the accused families’ houses was also bulldozed.
With tears in his eyes, Chand Mohammad, whose 20-year-old son Rehan was also arrested, said he could not understand the situation.
A daily wage worker, Mohammad said that he does not even have enough money to buy food, and his son was taken away in a fake case. “We have no idea why they have been taken away by the police authorities. My son is innocent. He is hardworking and minds his own business. When we go to ask the police for details, they ask us to go away,” he said.
Crying uncontrollably, he said the thought of his son locked up in jail, hungry and beaten up, makes them shudder. “We have not been able to meet him even once. How will we eat food? Please bring back my son. He has done nothing,” the father said.
Mohammad was also given a notice by the authorities. However, despite providing the documents to the authorities, part of the house belonging to him was demolished by the Vijaynagar Nagar Palika along with the Rajasthan Police on Monday.
In the afternoon, a bulldozer stood by his house, after which the structure outside the main gate was demolished.
When asked why notices were sent during this time, SP Singh said it was not related to the case. “Any illegal structure will be demolished,” he added.
Girls’ families scared and confused
Amidst the chaos, the families of the minor girls have stopped interacting with the media and are visibly scared. When Maktoob Media reached the house of one of the girls, her grandmother said she had never seen anything like this in her life.
“We do not know what is happening. We all live in unity, and I do not know what happened between the boys and girls. But we have always lived peacefully,” she said.
Meanwhile, the mother of another girl was too baffled to understand the situation. “The police are questioning the girls,” she said. It is worth noting that there were no men in the house. “We are scared,” the mother added.
A video of one of the girls is circulating on social media, where she is seen repeating statements as someone behind the camera prompts her to talk about love jihad.
There is visible confusion among the families, who have also refused to comment on the love jihad angle.
Tensions escalate
On Monday, a rally was held by Gujjar and others demanding the demolition of the accused families’ houses. Meanwhile, the accused families have reported receiving threats from Hindu mobs.
Raj Mohammad, the brother of Chand Mohammad, said that his son was picked up for “merely giving a bike.”
“The police told us that he had given his bike to Suhail or the boys, which is why they picked him up. No other reason was given to us,” he said.
His son, Aashiq, has been arrested and is now in jail. A few days ago, Mohammad’s daughter was abused by a mob of 15-20 men who warned the family of dire consequences.
Rehmat Kathat, the sole lawyer handling the case due to a boycott by the Vijaynagar bar council, said there is a “media trial going on” against the young boys.
Kathat, who is based nearly 60 kilometres away, said that no local lawyer is willing to take the case. Meanwhile, the accused boys have reportedly been beaten by lawyers when they appeared in court for a hearing.
“The court needs to do its work, but why has the media started its own trial in the matter?” he asked.
Kathat added that three FIRs have been registered so far.
As the accused families live in fear of demolition and watch a media trial unfold without being given a chance to explain, Hindutva groups have taken up the issue, amplifying the love jihad narrative.
The police are avoiding all questions regarding the allegations. Meanwhile, the girls and their families remain fearful of what is to come next.
In the end, the seed of communal hatred continues to spread, fueled by certain groups, even as the police assure everyone of an ongoing investigation.
