3 booked for forcing Balrampur youth to change religion for marriage

Lucknow: A case of alleged forced religious conversion surfaced in Balrampur district, with a local resident accusing 3 persons, including a woman from Rae Bareli district, of coercion, illegal confinement and forced marriage. The case was registered at the Nagar Kotwali police station on Wednesday, and efforts are underway to trace the accused.According to the complaint filed by Bhupendra Chauhan, he travelled to Dubai in 2019 for work. During his stay abroad, he came into contact with a woman named Rukhsar in 2021. Their interaction gradually increased, and they remained in touch. Bhupendra alleged that after he returned to India in 2022, the woman invited him to her native village, Kharaudi, in the Bachhrawan area of Rae Bareli district. Upon reaching the village, he was allegedly restrained by Rukhsar along with her 2 relatives, identified as Pappu and Nanhu. The complainant claimed that he was forcibly pressured to change his religion and that his name was altered against his will. He further alleged that he was kept in confinment, subjected to harassment and coerced into nikah during the period of his detention. According to Bhupendra, he managed to escape from the village on Jan 30 and reached Balrampur, where he submitted a written complaint at the Nagar Kotwali police station. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered against Rukhsar, her uncle Pappu, and Nanhu under relevant sections of law. "The matter is being investigated. The statements will be recorded and evidence is being collected," a senior officer said.