Meerut police busted an alleged case of interfaith kidnapping when it recovered the girl, a minor, from Chandigarh on Thursday. The policemen were shocked when they discovered that the kidnapper was a man named Abhishek, who not only belonged to the same village as the girl but was also of the same caste.
The girl’s brother had lodged an FIR under Section 363 of the IPC against three Muslim men who lived in the neighbourhood.
Police sources say that he was instigated by a local leader who claimed to represent Hindu Yuva Vahini.
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On July 18, Mini (13, named changed), a resident of Rasoolpur Aurangabad village that falls under Bhawanagar police station, was coming from tuition when she was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men. Her brother Ajay Kumar lodged an FIR.
On July 22, a group of villagers protested in front of the SSP office in Meerut alleging that it was an interfaith case and demanded action against Nafis, Aas Mohammed and Shakeel, who lived in the neighbourhood.
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“On Thursday, the police recovered the girl from Chandigarh and booked culprit Abhishek under relevant sections of the POCSO Act,” Avinash Pandey, SP (Rural), Meerut, told The Hindu . On Friday, the police charged the girl’s brother and others under Sections 153A, 298, 120B of the IPC for promoting enmity.