Two men have been arrested in Muzaffarnagar for allegedly abducting a Dalit minor girl, forcing her to convert to another religion, and marrying her against her will, police said on Wednesday.
The arrests were made on Tuesday, while the incident took place earlier this month. According to police, the main accused, Talib (25), and his friend, Shadab (23), have been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. They also face charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Circle Officer (Budhana) Gajendra Pal Singh confirmed the arrests and said the police are continuing their investigation.
According to the FIR filed by the victim’s brother, Talib abducted the girl on October 5 with the help of Shadab. The two then allegedly took her to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, where she was forced to convert and later married to Talib. The complaint also stated that the accused sexually assaulted the girl while she was held captive.
Police said the girl was rescued from Jabalpur on October 26 and brought back to Muzaffarnagar. “After her recovery, both accused were arrested from the Budhana area on Tuesday,” an officer said.
The investigation into the case is ongoing, officials added.
