Man booked for raping 2 sisters in Palghar; BJP leader alleges ‘love jihad’

Police in Palghar, Maharashtra, registered a case against a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping a woman and her minor sister. BJP MLC Chitra Wagh alleged “love jihad” and a wider exploitation network, calling for stricter measures to protect women

Palghar: Police have registered a case against a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping a woman and her minor sister in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, officials said on Sunday.

BJP MLC Chitra Wagh alleged it was a case of “love jihad”.

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The term ‘love jihad’ is used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into relationships and marriage to convert them to Islam.

Following a complaint by the victims, the case was registered on June 1 against the accused on charges of rape and molestation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dahanu) Ankita Kanse told PTI.

Two teams were searching for the absconding accused, the police said without giving more details of the case.

BJP leader Chitra Wagh on Saturday visited the Dahanu police station in connection with the case.

Later, speaking to reporters, she claimed that “love jihad” and illegal smuggling of educated girls from Palghar to London was being done under the guise of student visas.

Wagh also alleged that the house of the accused was unauthorised and demanded demolition of the illegal structure.

She said the victims’ parents, who were in a state of shock, informed her about their ordeal.

The BJP leader claimed the exploitation is part of a deeply entrenched network targeted at specific communities.

“In just half an hour, four families from the Jain and Marwari communities met me with harrowing accounts. Women are being lured into traps, their independent identities stripped, and they are sent directly to London on student visas. Young Muslim men who cannot even afford their own sustenance are mysteriously paying lakhs of rupees to secure these international visas,” Wagh alleged.

The BJP leader said she would present a detailed report on the matter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds charge of the home department.

Wagh called for the implementation of the “Gujarat pattern” in Maharashtra.

“In neighbouring Gujarat, the district collector officially intimates a girl’s parents before an inter-caste or inter-religious marriage is registered. Maharashtra needs an identical law to safeguard our daughters,” Wagh said, alleging that 70 to 80 per cent of male students in Bordi and other colleges in Palghar migrate from other states to execute crimes against women.

Wagh also said police have assured her of a comprehensive anti-trafficking action plan to dismantle the wider racket.