The suicide of 40-year-old Raseena, a native of Kayalode in Kannur district, has been linked to a moral trial conducted in the name of Sharia law. Police have arrested three extremists associated with the banned Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The accused, Mubashir, Faisal, and Rafnaz, all residents of Parambai in Kannur district, were taken into custody for their role in the incident. Raseena is believed to have ended her life after the accused confronted and interrogated her 21-year-old male friend, a resident of Mayyil in the same district.
The incident occurred last Sunday near a mosque, where Raseena and her friend were seen talking beside a parked car. The three accused approached them and objected to the man and woman conversing in public. What followed was a public “religious trial” under the pretext of Sharia law. After sending Raseena home, the accused forcibly took the young man to a nearby ground, where they physically assaulted him.
He was then taken to a PFI-SDPI terror centre, where he was detained and interrogated for over five hours. The accused also seized his tablet and mobile phone. The young man was eventually released after both his and Raseena’s families were summoned.
Later that night, Raseena was found hanging in her bedroom. A suicide note recovered from the scene stated that she took the extreme step after being subjected to a trial by a mob. Following an investigation, police arrested the three PFI-SDPI extremists and recovered the mobile phone and tablet from them. The accused were produced in court and remanded in custody. Police say more individuals are suspected to be involved.
The Popular Front of India is a banned Islamist organisation known for its radical ideology and its stated objective of turning India into an Islamic state by 2047. The group has openly threatened Hindus and Christians. Its political wing, SDPI, functions under similar ideological premises.
PFI members follow strict interpretations of Sharia law, including the concept of guardianship, which prohibits women from appearing in public without a male companion or speaking to strangers. Ironically, even as Islamic nations such as Saudi Arabia are moving away from such terror laws, radical elements in Kerala continue to enforce them through intimidation and violence.
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