Gadag, Mar 11 (IANS): The Karnataka police have launched a search for a man who brutally attacked his converted wife who was seeking a divorce, with a machete in Gadag district of Karnataka.

The victim identified as Apoorva Ananth Puranik alias Arfa Banu, is critical and battling for her life at a hospital in the district.

Hindu groups have demanded that it is a case of 'Love jihad' and the police department must investigate the case thoroughly to break the network.

According to the police, Apoorva (26) had decided to separate from her husband Mohammad Ejaz Shiroor (30) after finding out that he was already married and had three children.

The victim had shifted to her parents house with her son four months ago. The accused had attacked Apoorva in a park and hit her with a machete 23 times on her head, shoulders, face and hands on Thursday and fled from the site.

Raju Khanappanavar, Coordinator of Sri Ram Sena, said Apoorva has been married fraudulently to a Muslim man.

The accused had married a Brahmin Hindu woman and had attempted to kill her.

This is a case of Love jihad where the accused had planned to trap the victim after checking her family background which is condemnable and the police should not only arrest the accused but must investigate the network trapping Hindu girls.

Apoorva, a graduate and the only daughter in her family, met the accused while he was pursuing his education and driving an auto.

The couple fell in love and eventually got married in 2018.

Mohammad never told the victim that he was already married and had three children.

Apoorva was later converted to Islam. Her family had also accepted her marriage and maintained cordial relations with Mohammad's family.

The victim got to know about Mohammad's first wife and his three children which led to a rift between them.

The accused started to force Apoorva to wear a burqa, cook non-vegetarian food, follow traditions of Islam and completely abandon Hindu rituals, which Apoorva continued even after her marriage.

Not being able to bear the torture, Apoorva had shifted to her mother's house and filed for divorce in a family court.

Despite this the accused threatened Apoorva to follow Islam as she had married him.

Shivaprakash Devaraju, Gadag Superintendent of Police, said the accused will be arrested soon.