‘Daughter brainwashed to marry J&K youth’

JAISALMER

: Parents of 18-year-old Ritu Khandelwal, who had claimed to have converted to Islam and married a youth from Jammu and Kashmir, have alleged that their daughter was brainwashed and that this was a case of love jihad. The parents plan to approach the Rajasthan High Court to bring her home.

Ritu was working with a youth from J&K at a coffee shop in

Barmer

. On March 16, she left home claiming that she was going to Ahmedabad. However, she did not reach Ahmedabad so the family filed a missing complaint.

Meanwhile, Ritu and her husband Gulzaar Ahmed Khan (21) had filed a petition seeking security at Jammu & Kashmir High Court. According to the documents they presented, Ritu had converted to Islam and adopted the name Zenab. The couple got married last December. She continued to live with her parents till March 16. In February, the couple approached the J&K high court, seeking security. The court directed Barmer police to assist them.

“The documents claim that she converted to Islam on December 20 and a nikaah was held on December 30. However, she was in Mumbai at her aunt’s place from December 27 to January 4. So, how could she have got married to Gulzaar on that day? The nikaahnama, which claims they got married in Kashmir, is forged. The entire case is a planned conspiracy,” alleged her father

Ganesh Khandelwal

.

The family has approached the police with a complaint and requested them to investigate the matter. “The parents have claimed the girl was in Mumbai on December 30. The allegations need to be looked into but for that we need the statement of the girl, which would be recorded under Section 164,” said Barmer SP Gagandeep Singhla.

A police team had been sent to Kupwara, J&K earlier this week but it returned on failing to trace the girl. Now, another team has been sent which will seek help of local police to trace her.

“Her statement would be recorded before the magistrate there,” he said.


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