A former model from Mumbai has alleged that her husband put pressure on her to convert to Islam and when she resisted he physically assaulted her and asked her to leave the house.
Police said it was investigating the angle of 'love jihad' and a case was registered against her husband and his friend, whom she alleged had molested her.
The 42-year-old woman, at a press conference in suburban Bandra yesterday, showed injury marks, which she claimed, were inflicted by her husband when she refused to change her religion.
A video in which she was crying and levelling allegations against her husband also went viral on the social media. It also contained the statement given to the police.
"My husband recently married a Hindu girl who is half his age. He is now trying to evict me from our home. I'm a Hindu by birth and did not give into his pressure to convert to Islam," the victim is heard saying in the video.
The victim claimed she married the accused 12 years ago.
"At that time my husband told me there was no need to convert to Islam. But, he started building pressure so that I follow Islam, especially after I gave birth to a child," she alleged.
The former model alleged her husband threatened to kill her if she sought the help of the police and added that "they speak about love jihad all the time".
She alleged that on November 17 her husband asked her to leave the house. When she asked the reason, he said "such things" would happen if she did not embrace Islam.
When contacted, a senior police official said the angle of 'love jihad' was being investigated.
"The victim was assaulted by her husband and his friend.
We have registered an offence of assault and molestation," he said.
"We are also investigating the 'love jihad' angle. It is part of our investigation," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Bandra Division) Sanjay Kadam told PTI.
'Love jihad' is a term coined by some Hindu groups for alleged efforts to get non-Muslim girls to convert to Islam through love affairs.
Following her complaint, a case under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code was lodged against her husband and his friend, police said.
A comment from her husband was not immediately available.
PTI
