This is an archive article published on February 16, 2025
‘Haven’t returned home since the attack’: MP man who was assaulted in courtroom over interfaith marriage
On February 8, the interfaith couple who visited a court in Bhopal to register their marriage was targeted by members of right-wing outfits, who accused the man of “love jihad”
3 min readBhopalUpdated: Feb 16, 2025 07:52 AM IST
On February 8, an interfaith couple who visited a court in Bhopal to register their marriage was targeted by members of right-wing outfits. (Screengrab)
When he arrived in Bhopal district court to get married to his lover, the 28-year-old JCB operator had trusted his lawyer to help register his marriage under the Special Marriage Act of 1954. Hours later a right-wing group descended on him and assaulted him in front of his partner, who was forcibly carried off to a waiting police vehicle despite her protests.
On February 8, an interfaith couple who visited a court in Bhopal to register their marriage was targeted by members of right-wing outfits, who assaulted the man and accused him of “love jihad”, after which he was arrested on charges of forcing the woman to change her religion. The incident was captured on video.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the man, a resident of Narsinghpur, now claims that it was his lawyer that alerted the ring-wing Sanskriti Bachao Manch to the couple’s presence in the courtroom. He also claims he now “fears for his life and demands police protection”.
“I haven’t returned home since the attack. My family and I are being targeted. I request police protection,” he said.
Recounting his ordeal, he said: “My fiancée contacted a lawyer for the court marriage. I paid Rs 35,000 upfront, but before the marriage could be registered, the lawyer called a group of people who began assaulting me. They accused me of forced conversion, but my fiancée repeatedly denied it. The lawyer even snatched my phone and allowed the mob to assault me further. I have been left humiliated, robbed, and without justice”.
The man alleged that the attack didn’t stop in the court premises. “After the initial assault, I was taken to the police outpost inside the court compound, where I was beaten again by the same group along with some lawyers. They forced me to perform public squats, stole Rs 10,000 cash from me, and demanded my phone’s password. If it weren’t for one police officer who transferred me to the MP Nagar police station, I could have been killed,” he said.
The man has filed a complaint with the police and named advocate Akshay Karan as complicit in orchestrating the attack. However, Karan denied the allegations, claiming that he neither took money from the couple nor contacted any right-wing group. “I am being targeted by several groups over this incident. I had nothing to do with this case and I do not know the man,” Karan said.
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The woman at the centre of the controversy has also denied allegations of forced conversion. However, her mother has accused the man of rape and coercion – both of which he denies.
“These accusations are false. The woman and I are adults and decided to marry on our own. This is retaliation over a past family dispute,” he said.
His lawyer Siraj Anwar said he will soon approach the court over the assault.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
