Kerala student arrested for rape, forcing girlfriend to convert to Islam

Thiruvananthapuram: A 19-year-old student in Kerala was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping his 18-year-old classmate and compelling her to convert to Islam. The accused Mohammed Jasim has been arrested under charges of rape, extortion and criminal intimidation, as well as deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious sentiments by insulting a religion or its beliefs.

According to an NDTV report, the girl, who was involved in a two-year relationship with the accused, said he had compelled her to convert if she wanted to marry. The girl is Christian.

The Kozhikode police official said: “They were classmates and in a relationship for two years. However, according to the girl's statement, the boy insisted she convert to Islam if she wanted the marriage to happen. The complaint was received a month ago. The case was filed.”

Police have confirmed the girl's statement has been recorded before a magistrate. The accused will be presented in court on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, George Kurian, National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Vice Chairman, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday after receiving two complaints about “Christians being made soft targets for Islamic radicals”.

The letter said: "The National Commission for Minorities is in receipt of complaints from two Christian families. In one incident that took place in Kerala's Kozhikode, a Christian college student was allegedly raped after making her drink juice laced with sedatives. The act was filmed by the accused who mounted pressure on the victim to get her to convert to Islam and when she refused (an) attempt was made to abduct her from the hostel she was putting up in.”

However, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala has rejected these allegations and criticised the NCM for being part of a “politically motivated campaign”.

A Vijayaraghavan, the LDF convenor told NDTV: “Love Jihad is a terminology used by Hindu fundamentalists. If National Commission for Minority has used this term, it means theirs is a political statement...there is a politically motivated campaign going on in our country.”