Vadodara, Feb 16 (IANS): Vadodara Police in Gujarat have arrested a man accused of deceiving a divorced woman by posing as ‘Manoj’ while hiding his real identity as ‘Mohsin’. The accused allegedly pressured the woman and her children to convert after his identity was revealed. The incident was reported at Bapod Police Station, where authorities registered a complaint and initiated further investigation. Police suspect that the accused may have received foreign funding for religious conversions.
As part of the probe, the court has granted a five-day police remand for further questioning. Following the arrest of Mohsin Pathan, the police are now investigating the possibility that other women may have fallen victim to similar deception.
It has been revealed that Mohsin has a tattoo of a Hindu woman's name on his hand, but no further details about the woman have been found yet. Authorities suspect that he used his job in the railway sector and his involvement in event management as a means to target women from vulnerable backgrounds and lure them into religious conversion.
Police are examining allegations that Mohsin received funding from foreign sources to carry out religious conversions. His call records and financial transactions are under scrutiny, and officials are probing his four mobile phones for evidence. Investigators believe that he may have used multiple means to contact and manipulate his victims.
In response to the "Love Jihad" narrative, several Indian states, including Gujarat, have considered or enacted legislation aimed at preventing forced religious conversions through marriage. These laws often mandate prior approval from district authorities before an interfaith marriage can proceed, intending to curb coercive conversions.
However, critics argue that such legislation may infringe upon individual rights and could be misused to harass interfaith couples. Politically, the "Love Jihad" discourse has been leveraged by certain groups to further a particular narrative, often leading to communal tensions.