UP men report 'Love Jihad' in Bahraich, later kidnapped and assaulted in revenge

Two Hindu men in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district were allegedly kidnapped and assaulted after they reportedly took a case of 'love jihad' to the police around two months ago. The incident, which occurred on July 23, came to light after one of the victims, Chandan Maurya, filed a complaint at the Ramgaon police station.

According to the complaint, Chandan, along with his cousin Mohit and friend Annu, were on his way to celebrate a birthday party when they were intercepted by Shahabuddin, son of Aminuddin, and two others, all residents of Mehari Baikha village. The accused, accompanied by two more men—Anas and Zeeshan—allegedly assaulted Chandan and Mohit and forced them into a car before taking them to a secluded location.

There, the Chandan and Mohit claimed they were brutally beaten with iron rods and wooden sticks. Chandan alleged, “They stripped us and thrashed us severely. When we asked for water, they made us drink urine and forced us to chant 'Islam Zindabad' at gunpoint.”

The police, however, maintain that the incident appears to be the fallout of a personal enmity. “Initial investigation reveals the case is a result of an old rivalry between the two groups. We have registered a case under serious charges and arrested three accused—Shahabuddin, Anas, and Zeeshan,” said Durga Prasad Tiwari, Additional SP.

Tiwari added, “The police acted swiftly and rescued the victims near Matera. The vehicle used in the abduction has also been recovered. These allegations of forced religious slogans have not been substantiated with any evidence so far.”

Chandan further claimed that the attackers were part of an Instagram group called "Baba Group" and used fake Hindu identities to trap Hindu girls via WhatsApp chats. “These boys flaunt luxury cars like BMWs and Thars and use expensive gadgets. They create fake WhatsApp IDs with Hindu surnames to lure girls,” he alleged, sharing a fake ID screenshot from his own phone as an example.

He also alleged that nearly two months ago, when he reported this activity to the police, instead of taking action, the police allegedly deleted all evidence from his phone and mediated a compromise. “The same group has been holding a grudge against us since then and attacked us during the birthday party. They were even planning to take us to Nepal and kill us,” Chandan claimed.

According to the police, the incident on July 23 was reported promptly, and the victims were rescued before any further harm could occur. However, they clarified that the new claims made by the victims were not mentioned in the original complaint.

“The victims did not inform us earlier about any slogans or forced religious conversions. These claims are now part of an extended investigation, and we are looking into all aspects,” said Additional SP Tiwari.

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With inputs from Ram Baran Chaudhary.