NEW DELHI: The accused, Mohammed Kalim, promised the complainant a monthly payment of `1 lakh, a government job, and offered to arrange his marriage if he converted to Islam. Kalim, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki was arrested and sent to judicial custody by a local court in a case of forced religious conversion.
According to a senior Delhi Police official, a complaint was received from a man named Sandeep Saagar, who works as a caretaker of a Rain Basera, alleging that Kalim pressurised him to convert to Islam.
Accordingly, the police registered an FIR under the relevant sections of the IPC and arrested the accused. During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused was an engineering graduate.
According to the FIR, accessed by this newspaper, the complainant said that Kalim used to bother him unnecessarily. “Sometimes he would demand money and force me to recite particular religious verses before I started my work. I verbally lodged a complaint at Daryaganj police station, but Kalim apologised and I forgave him,” read the FIR.
The complainant got himself transferred to the Turkman Gate night shelter where two people, Feroz and Zeeshan, used to live and were friends of Kalim. “Kalim used to visit this night shelter as well and force me to watch particular videos on YouTube. He also told me that if I converted to Islam, he would arrange a marriage for me and promised `1 lakh per month and a government job if I did what he said,” Sagar said.
Sagar also accused Kalim of converting a Hindu, named Sanjeet Kumar to Islam. DCP (central) Sanjay Sain said the accused is an educated man and was discarded by his family. “We found some objectionable material in his mobile phone. He was also in touch with some religious groups through his mobile phone,” the official said.
‘Accused in touch with religious groups’
DCP (Central) said the accused is an educated man and was discarded by his family. “We found some objectionable material in his mobile phone. He was also in touch with some religious groups through his phone,” he said.