'It was a case of love jihad': Pune model Sayali Surve alleges harassment after inter-faith marriage, reconverts to Hinduism

PUNE: A model from Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district has reconverted to Hinduism, claiming she faced harassment during her marriage to a Muslim businessman.

The woman, Sayali Surve, who married a resident of Mira-Bhayandar in 2017 despite opposition from her family, had converted to Islam after the wedding and reportedly changed her name.

However, Sayali Surve said the marriage soon became troubled, alleging both mental and physical harassment. She also claimed she was pressured to abandon her Hindu religious practices.

"Even though I was not directly forced to marry, I was influenced in the name of love. Under that influence, I agreed to the marriage of my own will. But now I feel it was a case of 'love jihad'," she told the media.

Sayali Surve added that whenever she tried to follow Hindu customs at home, it was opposed. "Within a few days of the wedding, physical assault began," she said, noting that she endured the situation for several years primarily for the sake of her children.

Eventually, she decided to correct what she described as her "mistake" and reconverted to Hinduism. She has reportedly also brought her four children back to the Hindu faith.

She said that one other daughter-in-law in the family fully accepted Islam and continues to live with the family, while another daughter-in-law allegedly faced harassment but had the support of her husband.

The model has filed a police complaint regarding the alleged harassment she endured over the past ten years and has requested security for herself. "Now I am not afraid of anything. I am standing strong for my children," she said.