In an alarming case that calls for a deeper and nationwide investigation, the abduction and rescue of a 15-year-old Dalit girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district has uncovered a disturbing trail pointing to a radicalisation network operating in Kerala. The minor, who went missing in May, was found a month later in Thrissur, Kerala, and her revelations have left authorities stunned. According to her statement, she was forcibly taken to Kerala, pressured to convert to Islam, and exposed to jihadi indoctrination — deeply troubling allegations that demand urgent attention.
What adds to the gravity of the case is that the abduction was carried out not by a man, but by a 19-year-old woman, raising serious questions about the tactics and the extent of the network involved.
1) Is this part of a larger system where young Dalit and underprivileged girls from parts of Uttar Pradesh are being targeted, trafficked, and radicalised?
2) Is there an organised module operating behind the scenes, smuggling minors into Kerala for conversion and ideological training?
3) How many more girls may already be victims of this hidden machinery?
These are the questions now the agencies are facing as they begin to dig deeper into what could be a far-reaching and organised radicalisation racket.
How it Unfolded
The case came to light after Guddi Devi, a Scheduled Caste widow from Lilhat village, lodged a formal complaint on June 28 at the Phulpur Police Station. In her statement (FIR No. 277/2025), she reported that her daughter, Sapna (name changed), had gone missing on the night of May 8 after attending a wedding in the village. (Organiser has a copy of the FIR)
According to Guddi Devi, her daughter was lured away by their neighbour, 19-year-old Darkasha Bano, daughter of Mohammad Ismail. Acting allegedly on the instructions of her boyfriend Mohammad Taj, a resident of Jogia Sheikhpur, Bano misled Sapna into accompanying her under the pretext of going for a walk. At around 10 pm, Bano took Sapna to the mosque near the Phulpur flyover, where a man named Kaif, riding a motorcycle, was waiting as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
According to the reports, Kaif then transported the duo from the mosque to Allahabad Junction. The journey continued from Prayagraj to Delhi and then to Thrissur, Kerala. During the train journey, Bano was reportedly in frequent contact with Taj Mohammad. However, they were intercepted by railway police in Kerala for travelling without valid tickets. When questioned, Bano claimed they were going to meet her sister’s brother-in-law.
According to her, ever since the report was filed, she has been receiving casteist abuse and death threats over the phone from a number traced to one “Mohammed”.
“One day, my daughter called me. She told me that the accused girl had held her captive in Kerala. They had converted her religion. Crying, she pleaded with me, ‘Mummy, please save me.’ Then I went to the police and filed a complaint. After I complained, the accused called and threatened to kill me,” said Guddi Devi.
Eyewitness Accounts Raise Serious Questions
According to the girl’s family, the house in Kerala where she was kept had multiple men with long beards and at least two other girls. She alleged that she was coerced to convert to Islam and subjected to pressure to undergo jihadi training.
Her uncle recounted: “The accused took my niece to convert her to Islam. The place where they took her was a terrorist hideout. There were already two other girls and a maulana there. Seeing this, my niece managed to escape. They chased her, but she somehow reached the police station. That’s when we found out.”
The girl managed to flee and reach Thrissur railway station, where local authorities found her and placed her under CWC care. She was later brought back to Prayagraj with the assistance of Phulpur Police and admitted to the district’s One Stop Centre for counselling and protection.
Interstate Links and Radicalisation Concerns
Senior Prayagraj police officials suspect this may not be an isolated incident. DCP Ganga Nagar, Kuldeep Singh Gunawat, confirmed that the girl had been introduced to suspicious individuals who lured her with money, then coerced her to convert and pushed her toward extremist activities.
“During this, the victim was also molested in the Kaif,” DCP Gunawat added grimly.
He further stated, “From the above-mentioned report, it is known that the accused Bano is a part of an organised gang also involved in terrorist and anti-national activities by luring poor and Dalit girls, brainwashing them and forcing them to convert their religion.”
He added that three police teams have been formed to investigate the broader network suspected of abducting and radicalising girls.
“A thorough investigation is being conducted into the activities of Darkasha Bano. Strict action will be taken against others found to be involved. They will investigate this matter thoroughly.”
According to the DCP, the minor’s testimony indicated that other girls may have already fallen victim to this network, suggesting the involvement of an interstate syndicate operating across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Kerala.
Both Darkasha Bano and Kaif have been arrested. Meanwhile, Taj Mohammad, believed to be based in Thrissur, is absconding and remains on the radar of Prayagraj Police. Kerala Police have been alerted and are cooperating in the search.
Based on Guddi Devi’s FIR, the accused have been booked under several serious charges. These include: BNS Sections: 87 (kidnapping), 137(2), 61(2), 352, 351(3), SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act: Sections 3(2)(va), 3(2)(v), 3(1)(d), 3(1)(g). Security has also been deployed at the victim’s residence in Lilhat for the family’s protection, following the threats and continued intimidation.
Bigger Questions Remain
The case raises urgent questions about the existence of a larger, more dangerous network exploiting Dalit and poor girls for ideological indoctrination. Is this a one-off or part of a wider operation involving smuggling, conversion, and radicalisation? How many other girls may already be trapped in similar situations?
As the police probe unfolds, it is clear that this is not merely a case of kidnapping; it could be a crucial lead into unearthing a dangerous network that has stayed in the shadows for too long.
Contrary to repeated denials by Islamist groups, liberal commentators, and their broader ideological ecosystem, instances of forced conversion and radicalisation are not rare exceptions but part of a growing pattern, especially in Kerala, a state that has witnessed an alarming surge in Islamic radicalism over the past decade. Numerous reports and investigations have highlighted how Muslim youth, allegedly acting under the influence of religious ideologues, lure Hindu and even Christian women into relationships, convert them to Islam, and later send them to terror hotspots like Syria and Iraq. Many of these women, it has been found, were either used as sex slaves or recruited into terrorist organisations.
Kerala: A Breeding Ground for ISIS Recruitment
Kerala’s association with ISIS dates back to as early as 2013. By 2014, the Islamic State had established ideological footholds in the state, mobilising modules focused on religious conversions and indoctrination. Among the most prominent actors blamed for facilitating this radical transformation was the now-banned extremist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI), which played a significant role in making Kerala a fertile ground for ISIS recruitments.
Between 2008 and 2009, the state saw a wave of religious conversions involving young women, many of whom were later transported to ISIS-held territories along with their husbands. These disturbing developments first drew national attention in 2016, when several individuals who had left India to join ISIS were tracked down and arrested in Afghanistan.
Among the most notorious cases were those of four women from Kerala who left the country in 2016 to join ISIS with their spouses. They were:
1) Nimisha alias Fathima Isa: Nimisha was born into a Hindu Nair family in Thiruvananthapuram and converted to Islam while studying dentistry in Kasaragod. Her conversion reportedly happened under the influence of extremist ideologues during her college years. She married Bexin Vincent, who also converted to Islam and took the name Isa, before the couple left India to join ISIS in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
2) Merrin Jacob Pallath alias Mariyam: Merrin was raised in a Christian family in Kochi and later converted to Islam before marrying Bestin Vincent (who became Yahiya), the elder brother of Bexin. She worked as a schoolteacher before joining the ISIS module. Her radicalisation allegedly occurred through online sermons and association with Abdul Rashid Abdulla’s religious study circles.
3) Sonia Sebastian alias Ayisha: Sonia was a devout Christian from Thiruvananthapuram who converted to Islam in 2011. She married Abdul Rashid Abdulla, a former Islamic preacher and the key recruiter behind the 2016 exodus to ISIS. Sonia was actively involved in propagating extremist ideology online and reportedly helped plan the group’s departure to Afghanistan via Iran.
4) Raffaela, who married Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil: Raffaela, also from a Christian background, converted to Islam prior to marrying Dr. Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil from Kasaragod. Dr. Ijas was known to have been in contact with international jihadist groups and provided logistical support to the module. Raffaela was part of the group that travelled to ISIS-controlled Nangarhar province and later surrendered after her husband was killed in airstrikes.
The group of women left India in 2016 along with 21 others with the intention of joining the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan. They first flew to Iran before crossing the border into Afghanistan. Their radicalisation was rooted in a desire to help build an Islamic caliphate and support the ambitions of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
In 2019, after their husbands were killed in joint U.S.-Afghan military operations, the women surrendered and were imprisoned in Kabul along with their children. They remained incarcerated until 2021, when the Taliban released numerous prisoners after capturing Afghanistan’s capital. All four women later expressed a desire to return to India.
Recruitment Machinery and International Routes
In another key case, Yasmin Ahmed Jahid, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2023, admitted under interrogation that she had played a central role in recruiting 22 Keralites, including six women and three children, into ISIS. These individuals were sent to ISIS-controlled regions in Afghanistan via Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai airports, with stopovers in Kuwait, Dubai, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi before crossing into Afghanistan from Iran.
Yasmin claimed that Abdul Rashid Abdulla had indoctrinated at least 40 youth in Kerala by 2016. She herself was a regular attendee of Rashid’s religious classes and was charged with recruiting 15 people from Kasaragod district alone.
Targeting of Christian Girls
Growing concerns over this pattern of religious conversion and radicalisation have not only come from state agencies but also from the Christian clergy in Kerala.
In his Easter pastoral letter of 2023, Metropolitan Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany of the Thalassery Archdiocese (Syro-Malabar Church) expressed grave concern about rising cases of love jihad, citing “reliable information” that Christian girls were being systematically targeted and converted under false pretenses of love and marriage.
Earlier, in September 2021, Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt of Pala diocese had spoken publicly about the threats of “narcotic jihad” and “love jihad”, warning that Christian women were being manipulated, exploited, and radicalised. He specifically referred to the cases of Sonia Sebastian and Nimisha Fathima as examples.
The Syro-Malabar Church issued a statement in 2020 pointing out that love jihad incidents were becoming increasingly common in Kerala, suggesting they were part of a larger ISIS strategy to disrupt Kerala’s social harmony. The Church’s Synod, presided over by Cardinal George Alencherry, cited that 12 out of 21 women who left for Syria in 2016 were originally from Christian backgrounds.
The Synod accused Kerala Police of inaction and declared it would launch educational campaigns within the Christian community to raise awareness. “The authorities were informed about the growing cases, but no comprehensive investigation was set up. A resolution was passed stating that Christian women were being killed under the pretext of love jihad,” the Church said.
Christian Groups and National Commission for Minorities
In 2021, the Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA), a Kerala-based Christian organisation, issued a powerful video message condemning the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and Congress for allegedly appeasing jihadist elements in the state.
“The Left (CPM-led LDF) and the Right (Congress-led UDF) are competing to appease jihadists by covertly and overtly justifying the form of terrorism known as love jihad. We should not allow the jihadists to grow in their (LDF’s and UDF’s) shadow. For that, we need to cut down the trees that provide them shelter. Think, act,” the group warned.
In 2019, George Kurian, then Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging intervention.
“The spate of organised religious conversions and using the victims for terror activities by trapping them through love jihad has shown the Christian community is a soft target for Islamic radicals,” Kurian said.
He cited a case of a Delhi-based Christian girl who had been traced to the UAE, where she told Indian embassy officials that she was forced to convert to Islam.
Kurian also referenced a study conducted by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council’s Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance, which documented over 4,000 cases of love jihad between 2005 and 2012.
A Worsening Reality
Despite repeated attempts by left-liberal circles to dismiss concerns around Islamist radicalisation and “love jihad” as conspiracy theories, the evidence paints a far more dangerous picture. The reality in Kerala, bolstered by testimonies, arrests, and even statements from religious leaders, shows that targeted conversion and recruitment into terror groups is a growing menace.
For years, Islamist groups have manipulated youth, especially women from Hindu and Christian backgrounds, by promising love, marriage, financial stability, or even spiritual salvation, only to drag them into a dark web of violence and terror.
The latest incidents serve as grim reminders that Kerala’s Islamist problem is not fictional; it is perilously real. And unless the state acts decisively and comprehensively, these forces will continue to exploit India’s social fabric to further their jihadi agendas.
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