A controversy erupted in Pune’s Kothrud area after a unisex salon was accused of promoting religious conversion and “love jihad.” Members of a group named Satya Sanatan Dharm confronted two Muslim men, alleging they coerced a Hindu girl into reciting the Kalma and subsequently forced her into nikah. However, police officials investigating the matter have denied finding any evidence of forced conversion.
The episode centers around Arsh Unisex Salon, located in the Kothrud neighborhood and reportedly owned by one Javed, one of the accused. An undated video that surfaced online shows members of Satya Sanatan Dharm confronting Javed and another man identified as Arman, accusing them of trapping a Hindu girl who had visited the salon. According to the organisation, the two allegedly took the girl to the first floor of the salon and pressured her into accepting Islam by reciting the Kalma. They further claimed that she was forcibly married to Javed.
The group also alleged that the salon exclusively employs Muslim hairstylists and claimed that the lease agreement is in Javed’s name. “This is part of a larger pattern where salons employ Islamists who trap Hindu girls either by force or by allurement. Hindus must root their children in Dharma to ensure such incidents do not repeat,” said one of the group members in the viral video.
The tension escalated on April 7, when workers affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allegedly stormed into the salon and confronted the staff.
BJP leader Ujwala Goud, who was present during the protest, alleged that Arman Khan, one of the employees, had forced the girl into marriage and offered her Rs 1 lakh to stay silent about her alleged forced conversion. “She was coerced into reciting Islamic prayers and marrying against her will,” Goud claimed.
A Dalit man from Chapra, Ramnath Manjhi, says, “They gave me one thousand rupees in an envelope and told me to leave Puja Path.”
These families opposed one Jyoti Prakash, who first captured land in their locality to build a school and later converted it into a church.
When… pic.twitter.com/ipfOR5go4P
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) April 10, 2025
However, the Pune Police offered a strikingly different version of events. According to the authorities, preliminary investigations indicate that the girl and Arman had been in a consensual relationship for over a year. Both worked at the same salon and were living together in a paying guest facility, with the rent reportedly covered by the salon owner.
“There is no technical evidence of forced conversion. The girl has given her statement both in writing and on camera. She has not claimed any coercion in her testimony,” said a senior police official. “This appears to be a case of a personal dispute rather than a criminal conspiracy.”
According to police sources, the girl and Arman had an argument at the salon, after which she called a friend for help. That friend allegedly contacted BJP workers, who then arrived at the scene and confronted the salon staff.
Adding a new twist, the police have also said that the girl does not belong to the Hindu faith, contradicting the initial claim made by Satya Sanatan Dharm and the BJP workers.
The police have appealed for calm as the investigation continues. “We urge people not to jump to conclusions or spread misinformation. We are looking into all angles and will take appropriate legal action based on facts,” the official added.
This incident comes amidst rising tensions over alleged cases of “love jihad”—a term used by activists to describe supposed campaigns by Muslim men to convert women of other religions through marriage.
The Satya Sanatan Dharm group has stated that it will continue to pursue the matter legally and socially, claiming it is part of a larger trend that needs to be addressed. Meanwhile, no arrests have been made so far in connection with the vandalism or the allegations of forced conversion.
A Similar Case
On July 24, 2024, a major controversy erupted in Moradabad after the director of Lakmé Academy, situated on Kanth Road, was booked under serious sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, following allegations of forced religious conversion and communal discrimination. The accused, identified as Rakshanda Khan, was alleged to have coerced Hindu female trainees into befriending Muslim boys and converting to Islam through nikah.
The matter came to light on July 22, when two Hindu students, Tanya Chaudhary and Swati Pal, submitted a formal complaint to District Magistrate Anuj Singh, accusing the academy’s director of systematically targeting Hindu girls for religious conversion under the guise of vocational training.
“She used to say that she herself was a Hindu once but converted to Islam after marrying Shahnawaz Khan. She would openly encourage Hindu girls to follow her path,” alleged Tanya Chaudhary.
The complainants claimed that Rakshanda Khan, formerly known as Sapna, deliberately segregated Hindu girls into groups with Muslim boys, fostering relationships that often led to religious influence. They alleged that Khan had been operating a covert campaign to normalize interfaith nikahs under Islamic conversion, echoing concerns frequently flagged under the controversial term “love jihad.”
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