In a case of deception and identity fraud in marriage, a Hindu family in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district has sought police intervention. The complaint, filed by Vinod Kohli, accuses a man of faking his identity and religion to marry his sister.
According to the FIR (No. 609/2024) registered at Rudrapur Police Station on December 12, Vinod Kohli, a resident of Kumoud, Pithoragarh, arranged the marriage of his sister, Meneka Kohli, to a man who introduced himself as Aman Choudhary from Delhi. The groom reportedly claimed to belong to the ‘Kumaoni’ caste and identified himself as a Pahadi.
What says the FIR?
Kohli alleged that Aman’s family presented themselves as Hindus and created an atmosphere at their residence that left no room for suspicion about their religious identity.
“When we visited Aman’s house in Delhi, the entire atmosphere and layout of the house resembled that of a Hindu household. There was even a small temple in the house. Aman’s family had deliberately designed the house in such a way that it did not raise any doubts,” stated Vinod Kohli in his complaint.
The engagement ceremony, held on October 13, 2024, at City Club Rudrapur, was conducted in accordance with Kumaoni customs. “The women from Aman’s family even wore traditional pahadi attire, which further solidified our belief that they were Kumaoni Hindus,” Kohli said.
The marriage was solemnised on December 10, 2024, in Rudrapur. Kohli stated that the wedding ceremonies, including the traditional pheras, were performed according to Hindu customs. The family spent an estimated Rs 18 to Rs 20 lakh on the wedding and also gifted 150 to 160 grams of gold jewellery to the groom’s family.
However, the illusion shattered two days after the marriage when Kohli and other family members visited Aman’s house in Delhi. “When we arrived, the entire atmosphere of the house had changed. Most of the people were in Muslim attire, and some customs being practiced were in line with Muslim traditions. This raised our suspicions,” Kohli explained.
Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that Aman Choudhary was actually Aman Qureshi, and his father’s name was Murajuddin. “When we confronted Aman’s family, they admitted that they were Muslims. They even declared that Meneka would now have to live according to the Muslim religion,” Kohli alleged.
The family believes this was a deliberate act of deceit intended to convert their sister. “We are convinced that these people have deliberately destroyed our religion and tried to forcefully convert my sister, which is a punishable crime,” Kohli stated in his complaint.
Based on the FIR, the accused Aman Qureshi and the broker who arranged the marriage, Santosh Kumar, have been booked under Sections 318(4) and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 3 and 5 of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act (Anti-Conversion Law).
What Vinod told Organiser?
Speaking with Organiser on December 15, Vinod Kohli shared the emotional toll of the incident. “It was nearly impossible to even imagine that he was a Muslim,” said Vinod, who had been taking care of his sisters after their parents passed away when they were very young. He said he had spent all his savings on the wedding, trusting Santosh Kumar, who had vouched for Aman, assuming the man was trustworthy.
Santosh used to live on rent at Vinod’s house for years.
As stated in the FIR, Aman’s family convincingly portrayed themselves as Pahadis, and Vinod revealed that Aman’s mother is a Hindu Pahadi woman, which enabled the family to maintain the deception throughout the wedding. When confronted, the accused allegedly said, “We have connections here; it will be better if you compromise.”
Uttarakhand Love Jihad:
Aman Qureshi from Delhi posed as Aman Choudhary to marry a Hindu woman, Meneka, claiming he belonged to a Pahadi Kumaoni family. The man claimed he was well settled in Delhi.
When Santosh, Meneka’s brother, visited his house in Delhi, it had a small… pic.twitter.com/S8eEQEY4lZ
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) December 28, 2024
Aman’s mother tried to assure Vinod, saying, “I have been living with this family for the past 40 years, and there has never been a problem.” In response, Vinod questioned her, “What will happen when this family decides to take my sister’s children for circumcision?”
Vinod managed to bring his sister back home safely and immediately lodged a complaint with the police.
Describing his shock, he said, “Things changed completely. It was clearly a Muslim household, but that was not the case when I first visited. My sister was under constant supervision during the two days she stayed there. Someone was always sitting next to her, monitoring what she was saying to me and other family members.”
Expressing his anguish, Vinod added, “She is completely shattered, and so am I. This is unimaginable and unacceptable.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rudrapur, Manikant Mishra, took cognisance of the FIR and sent an SOG (Special Operations Group) team to Delhi. The SOG team successfully rescued Menaka from Aman’s house.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Uttam Singh Negi confirmed in a statement that the accused groom has been arrested. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
