CHENNAI: The city police on Friday registered a first information report after US national Butler William Keith filed a complaint stating that he was bundled into a room and assaulted by members of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNJT). The TNJT claimed Keith was trying to lure Muslims towards Christianity.
Based on Keith’s complaint, the FIR was registered against Abdul Hassan and other unnamed persons on charges of wrongful confinement and assaulting a person with weapons. TNTJ’s Kancheepuram unit head A Syed Ibrahim claimed Keith was a regular in the Pallavaram area, targetting economically poor families for conversion. In a written complaint lodged by one U Aamir Khan, Keith was accused of forceful conversion and insulting religious beliefs. “We have recorded the complaint in the community service register,” said a police officer.
A senior police officer said, “We found in our investigations that the US national was involved in religious conversion.” However, the officer said he was doing it individually and not as part of any group or organisation. The US Consulate in Chennai refused to comment citing privacy considerations of American citizens.
‘Targetting the poor’
TNTJ’s Kancheepuram unit head A Syed Ibrahim claimed Keith was a regular in the Pallavaram area, targetting economically poor families for conversion