Tension gripped Navara village in the Nepanagar region late Friday night (August 1), after a 35-year-old Hindu woman, Bhagyashree Namdev Dhanuk, was brutally murdered for refusing a marriage proposal and conversion to Islam. The accused, 42-year-old Sheikh Raees, reportedly slit her throat with a knife after a heated altercation, leaving her with multiple fatal injuries.
The victim died on the spot. Her family alleges that Raees had been harassing her for several months, pressuring her to marry him and convert to Islam. The family had approached the local police outpost just hours before the attack but reportedly received no help.
Case registered under SC/ST Act
Police arrested Raees, son of Sheikh Asif, shortly after the incident and booked him under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder, and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Officials confirmed that the accused has a controversial past and runs a dairy business in the Matapur market. He is also involved in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife, with a maintenance case currently pending.
Protests erupt; family demands demolition of house
On Saturday, the victim’s family staged a road blockade with the body, demanding demolition of the accused’s house and shop. Members of Hindu organisations including Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Hindu Jagran Manch, joined the protest. The last rites were delayed for over two hours as villagers refused to proceed until their demands were met.
Police officials, including SP Devendra Patidar, ASP A.S. Kanesh, SDM Bhagirath Vakhala, and SDOP Nirbhay Singh Alawa, visited the scene. Local MLA Manju Dadu and Balai Samaj President Manoj Parmar also met the family and assured justice and compensation.
Policemen line-attached for alleged negligence
Protesters accused constables Wasim Qureshi and Iqbal Khan from the Navara police outpost of negligence and alleged they accepted bribes from the accused during a prior complaint. Both constables were later line-attached, and authorities confirmed that encroachments on government land by the accused would be demolished.
The cremation eventually took place at 6:50 PM.
Allegations of religious conversion and Love Jihad surface
Bhagyashree’s sister Subhadra, reiterated that Raees persistently pressured her for conversion to Islam and was a regular source of harassment. She demanded action against three other individuals allegedly complicit and called for legal action against the negligent police staff.
Community leaders termed the murder a case of “love jihad” and pressed for strict application of the SC/ST Act. “As per provisions, Rs 4.12 lakh should be immediately provided after the FIR and again after the chargesheet,” said Manoj Parmar from Indore.
He also alleged that Raees was let off earlier due to bribes paid to local policemen.
In response to the murder, local Hindu groups called for a bandh. Shops in both Nepanagar and Navara remained closed on Saturday, with heavy police presence deployed to prevent escalation.
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