Five Muslims arrested in Uttar Pradesh after religious conversion allegations
New Delhi: Police in Hamirpur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested five Muslims on charges of illegal religious conversion for celebrating Urs and organizing a prayer program at the house of a Dalit family.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Urmila, a Dalit woman from a family in Mudha area of the district, and her husband Ajit Verma allegedly got a shrine built inside their house at the behest of the accused because they believed that it would cure Urmila’s diseases and end her troubles.
When the Dalit family was organizing the Urs inside their house on the night of January 10, members of the Hindutva organization Bajrang Dal disrupted the programme and informed the police about it.
Hindu members alleged that Muslims were trying to convert the Dalit family to Islam.
The five people arrested by the police have been identified as Nooruddin (55), his nephew Meraj Hassan (32), Khalif (42), Irfan (46) and Muhammad Hanif (52).
A case has been registered against them. However, while talking to local media, Urmila did not make any negative statement against the five people but the FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed in their name.
Speaking to reporters outside the police station in Hamirpur, Ajit Verma and Urmila denied that they had converted to Islam.
