A family in Thane, Maharashtra, has filed a complaint at the Vithalwadi police station, accusing their daughter of being forcibly converted to Islam.
After their daughter converted to Islam and went missing, her parents, who reside in Ulhasnagar, approached the police with suspicions of foul play. The family alleges that their daughter was coerced into converting by a neighbouring family and a local Islamic preacher, who enticed her with financial benefits.
According to the mother, the conversion took place while she was in London in June 2022. She said that she discovered her daughter had gone missing after returning home.
“A letter from the Ulhasnagar and Ambernath Masjid Trust confirmed her conversion. She even withdrew funds from her father’s account after converting,” said the mother.
She said she is concerned that her daughter has been manipulated and may be involved in illegal activities.
The police report states that the complainant’s daughter, who had recently completed her 12th grade in science, used to tutor the children of a neighbour named Afida Shaikh. Over time, the Shaikh family began visiting the complainant’s home frequently. In April 2022, an argument broke out when the daughter refused to eat prasad during Navratri, explaining that she was fasting. Afida Shaikh intervened in support of the daughter.
During this period, the daughter started watching videos of Zakir Naik on YouTube and used to study at Shabana Shaikh’s house, occasionally staying overnight. The complainant claims that Shabana Shaikh was teaching her about Islam during this time. A photo posted on Instagram by a neighbour showed the girl wearing a burqa, further raising suspicions, according to her mother.
On June 26, 2022, the complainant travelled to London and returned home on November 18, 2022. During this period, the daughter left home, leaving behind a Shahadat letter (declaration of her conversion to Islam), which the Ulhasnagar and Ambernath Masjid Trust, Muslim Jamaat stamped.
After her disappearance, the complainant filed a missing person report on November 29, 2022. When questioned by the police, the daughter admitted to her conversion.
The complainant has also reported receiving threats from a person named Amina Khan, who warned of harm if any harm came to the daughter. The daughter has also contacted her parents multiple times, demanding money and making withdrawals from her father’s account.
In response to the complaint, the Vitthalwadi police have arrested Shabana Sayed and Farooq Abdul Karim, a trustee of a mosque, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including promoting enmity between different groups (153-A), injuring or defiling places of worship (295, 295-A), making offensive statements (298), causing harm with dangerous weapons (324), and various charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal intimidation.
The investigation is still ongoing as authorities search for eight other remaining suspects, according a report in TOI.
