A case of “love jihad” has emerged from the Remuna area of Odisha’s Balasore district, where a youth concealed his religious identity to befriend and elope with a minor girl. Acting on the family’s complaint, police conducted a swift operation and rescued the girl from West Bengal.
According to reports, the accused, identified as Sultan Rahman Khan (25), was employed as a carpenter by a contractor involved in the construction of a school building in Narharipur village, under Remuna police limits. It is alleged that Khan posed as a Hindu and introduced himself to the girl as Rahit Purohit. The girl, a Class 12 student from the same village, began interacting with him over mobile phone after exchanging contact details.
On May 10, the girl went missing, prompting her family to search for her frantically. A friend of the girl claimed to have seen her leaving with that youth , which led the family to approach the local police station with a formal complaint.
Taking the matter seriously, Remuna police, under the direction of IIC Shyamghan Behera, formed a special investigation team to trace the duo. By tracking the accused’s mobile phone location, the team traced them to a location nearly 60 kilometers from Kolkata. Both the girl and the accused were rescued and brought back to Odisha.
During interrogation, the girl reportedly informed the police that she was taken to a mosque in West Bengal where she was coerced to recite the Kalma (Islamic declaration of faith), indicating an attempt to convert her religion. These claims have intensified local outrage.
The incident has sparked widespread resentment in the area. Local community leaders and activists have demanded strict action against the accused and stronger laws to prevent such incidents.
Reacting to the development, Tanmay Dash, State Organisational Secretary of the Hindu Jagran Manch, stated, “Such incidents of identity fraud to lure Hindu girls into relationships are increasing in the state, which is extremely alarming. The government must enact stringent laws to curb such practices and ensure strict punishment for the perpetrators.”
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