'Love jihad' threat to nation's integrity, says court, gives man 7-yr jail sentence

A Yamunanagar court has sentenced a man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting and intimidating a minor Hindu girl to coerce her into a relationship with a Muslim juvenile, terming the case one of “love jihad”. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict and said such acts were “a potential threat” to the nation’s sovereignty and integrity.

While acknowledging that ‘love jihad’ is not a legal term under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or the Pocso Act , the court described it as a “purported campaign by Muslim men to convert non-Muslim women to Islam by pretending to be in love.”

In Nov last year, a 14-yearold girl filed a complaint at City Yamunanagar police station, naming Shahbaj and a juvenile. She alleged the boy had stalked her on her way to school while Shahbaj pressured her to befriend him.

The FIR invoked sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of BNS, and sections 17 (abetment), 8 ( sexual assault ) and 12 (sexual harassment of a child) under Pocso. The defence counsel, SS Nehra, argued that the accused was falsely implicated.

However, additional sessions judge Ranjana Aggarwal, in her July 17 order, said Shahbaj systematically tried to force an interfaith relationship through “allurement and inducement.” The court awarded him four years under Pocso Section 8, two years under Section 12, and one year under BNS Section 351(2), with fines totalling Rs 1 lakh. All sentences will run consecutively