Rajasthan: Muslim man, Hindu woman elope; VHP, Bajrang Dal protest

Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagran Manch and other organisations protested outside Jodhpur’s Maha Mandir police station on Tuesday after news spread that a Hindu woman had eloped with a Muslim man.

“Pooja Joshi, 20, was missing since Sunday, November 26, and her brother Deepak Joshi has submitted a missing person’s complaint. We traced her and her neighbour Mohsin Khan, about 23 years old, to Bikaner, and brought them back to Jodhpur a day later,” said Sita Ram Khoja, the SHO of Maha Mandir police station.

The two, however, declined to go back to their homes and were kept in police protection for the night. No untoward incident was reported, the police said.

Jodhpur Assistant Superintendent of Police Shriman Lal Meena said the two were produced before a magistrate Tuesday where the girl said she wanted to stay at her uncle’s place.

The girl reportedly told the magistrate she wasn’t taken away forcibly and would marry Mohsin once he converted to Hinduism.

HC reserves verdict in elopement case

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court Wednesday concluded hearing a case of elopement of Faiez Modi, 23, and Payal Singhvi, 22, from Jodhpur and reserved its judgment. Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Payal’s brother, the court sent Payal to Nari Niketan for a week but later permitted her to stay with Faiez. Her brother alleged his sister was “brainwashed” into converting to Islam and marrying Faiez. ENS