Four arrested for ‘forcible conversion’, marriage of minor boy in UP's Kanpur

Four people including a 24-year-old woman, her parents and a cleric have been booked for alleged kidnapping and forceful conversion of a minor Dalit boy. 

Kanpur: Police have arrested a 24-year-old woman, her parents and a Muslim cleric, accusing them of illegal confinement of a minor boy, his forcible religious conversion and marrying him to the woman, an official said on Wednesday. The arrests were made after a video of the marriage went viral on social media. It also prompted members of right wing group Bajrang Dal to stage a protest at Kakadeo Police Station on Monday.

Two policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) of Kakadeo Police Station, were suspended on Tuesday for negligence in investigation, officials said.

Police sources said the boy and the woman came in contact through a popular social media platform and regularly chatted with each other.

Commenting on the incident DCP (West) BBGTS Murthy said, "Mohammad Hanif (42), his wife Jameela Bano (40) and their daughter Simran (24) along with a Muslim cleric Tauheed (52) who performed the marriage have been arrested on Tuesday for alleged kidnapping and forceful conversion of minor Dalit boy."

The accused have been booked for illegal confinement and under sections of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion law.