In a press conference held in Pune on Friday, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar brought attention to an incident of an alleged "love jihad" case, four years after the abduction of a 16-year-old girl in Pune's Manchar. Padalkar made the claim during the press conference, which was attended by the victim's family members as well.
Role of 'The Kerala Story'
The girl, who had been missing for four years, was recently traced by her relatives. Padalkar explained that the girl's brother became concerned after watching the movie "The Kerala Story" and approached people from their community for help. They eventually located the girl in Manchar on May 16. According to Padalkar, she was rescued from a room where she was allegedly being held captive by the boy. After that, the FIR was lodged.
For the uninitiated, "The Kerala Story" film faced backlash over alleged exaggeration of radicalization and forced conversion cases in Kerala. The initial teaser description of "heartbreaking stories of 32,000 females" was later toned down to "true stories of three young girls" following criticism.
The girl's family claims that they repeatedly pleaded with the police to investigate their daughter's disappearance, but no action was taken. Padalkar also claimed that the girl was physically and mentally tortured.
Urges cops to investigate the extent of "love jihad"-related entrapment
During the press conference, MLA Gopichand Padalkar also emphasized the need for a thorough examination of the boy's mobile phone, which allegedly contained photos of numerous Hindu girls. He urged the police to investigate the extent of "love jihad"-related entrapment.
The victim's brother revealed distressing details of his sister's ordeal. "After her marriage, she was coerced into wearing a burqa, forced to practice namaz, and fed mutton. If she resisted praying, she was subjected to physical abuse," he added. The brother shared that his sister had been taken away by the boy's sister, who was in the same class, and despite their efforts, they were unable to locate her for four years.
