New Delhi: Three women from Mumbai who described themselves as survivors of “love jihad” shared detailed and emotional testimonies at a public event in Delhi organised ahead of the release of The Kerala Story 2. Their statements alleged deception, coercion, sexual violence, forced religious practices and repeated police inaction, while raising serious questions about activities they claimed were taking place inside and around Mumbai’s Mahim Dargah.
The survivors, Rashi, Gauri Shelar and Savita, recounted their experiences in detail, describing what they said were systematic attempts to trap, manipulate and convert young Hindu women. The women alleged that they were taken to Mahim Dargah during the course of their ordeal, which they described as a key turning point in their cases.
The event in Delhi brought together activists, survivors and supporters who argued that such incidents represent a larger social issue. Both women spoke at length, recounting their experiences chronologically and describing the emotional, physical and psychological impact on their lives.
The programme also included references to the earlier film The Kerala Story, which was repeatedly cited by speakers as an attempt to depict what they described as real-life experiences.
Rashi’s story: “He changed his name on Ganpati and found me on Instagram”
Rashi, a resident of Mumbai, began her testimony by saying that her experience closely resembled other stories that had been publicly discussed.
According to Rashi, the man she accused first approached her online.
She said, “He changed his name on Ganpati and found me on Insta.”
She said the friendship continued for about one and a half months before the relationship took a darker turn. The accused visited her house after learning that her family members were away and that she was unwell.
She said, “He came to my house with biryani. He mixed something in the biryani and fed it to me, and then I became unconscious.” Rashi alleged that after she lost consciousness, the man assaulted her and recorded videos.
She said, “After that, what he did to me, and he made videos and threatened to make them viral.”
According to her, the threats continued for four months.
Taken to Mahim Dargah
Rashi stated that during this period she was taken to Mahim Dargah in Mumbai.
She alleged, “Then he took me to Mahim Dargah in Mumbai, where there is a lot of conversion of Hindu girls. They take Hindu girls to Mahim Dargah and convert them.”
According to Rashi, she was forced to participate in religious rituals.
She said, “He took me there, forced me to wear a burqa, made me drink water from some Maulana.”
She said that when she refused, she was beaten by the accused and his family members.
Rashi alleged that she became pregnant during this period.
She said, “During that situation, I was two months pregnant. His family forcibly gave me pills and caused my abortion.”
Rashi said she approached a police station after learning about the alleged actions.
However, she claimed no action was taken.
According to her, “They said, ‘Leave him for now, let him go.’” She said the police did not register a case at that time.
Rashi alleged that in March she was called by the accused’s family to meet them.
She said, “The entire family, his brother, his brother-in-law, everyone together, raped me.” She also described extreme violence, “They pulled out the hair from my head.”
The attack took place on Holi, “In March, on Holi day, they pulled out my hair.” She added, “For a girl, nothing may matter, but her hair is everything.”
Rashi said she did not receive support from her family initially.
She said, “My family’s question was, ‘You loved him, so go to jail.’” However, she said a friend supported her during the difficult period.
She alleged, “The police said all this doesn’t happen, it’s common.”
She said, “The policeman who was supposed to file the FIR was himself Muslim. I can’t disclose the name.”
Rashi said she later coordinated with a local MLA to register a case. She said the FIR was registered only after persistent efforts. She alleged that even after the FIR was filed, the accused family received protection.
Rashi concluded her statement with an appeal. She said: “Today I am here. I don’t know how many more girls like me there are.” She urged authorities to act. “Please please please do something about these things so that girls like us can be safe.”
Gauri Shelar’s Testimony
The second speaker, Gauri Shelar, introduced herself as a law student from Mumbai. She said her ordeal began in 2019 when she was 16 years old.
She said, “When I was 16 years old, the process that they use to trap girls began with me.” She described manipulation and drugging.
She said, “I will only say that on November 24, the boy took me to a dargah — Mahim Dargah — where, according to me, such hypnotic or manipulative practices take place. Not the part you normally see, but behind it, where darker activities happen. There I was given a glass of water that tasted very bitter. After drinking that water, I was given drugs.”
Gauri said she attempted suicide because she did not want to marry the accused.
She added, “After that, I even attempted suicide because I did not want to marry him. I wanted to build my career first and had promised that I would marry only in 2025. Despite that, I was forcibly drugged and manipulated.”
She alleged she was forced into a marriage.
She said, “At Bandra Court, without my permission and without my knowledge, I was converted and made to undergo a nikah.”
She said her name was changed. “My name was changed from Gauri to Palak.”
She said she received support from her parents and social workers.
She said, “My counselling and treatment began.”
She added, “About one month later, I was taken out of Maharashtra because the process of manipulation weakens when one is taken away from the environment where it happened. That helps the girl recover and come out of it. They kept me far away from that boy. After I became stable, I returned to Mumbai to file the FIR. I filed it, but there is one bitter truth.”
Gauri said she later filed an FIR.
However she alleged misconduct by a police officer. She said, “She called me characterless.” She alleged the officer tried to stop the FIR. “She tried to prevent me from filing the FIR.”
Gauri appealed to parents and society. “Do not misunderstand your daughters.” She also urged social support. She said, “Society should stand with its brothers and sisters.”
Both women independently described being taken to Mahim Dargah during their ordeals.
Their testimonies raised questions about what activities may be taking place there beyond normal religious practices.
The question remains: What exactly is happening behind the closed spaces of Mahim Dargah?
Both speakers insisted their experiences were real.
They argued that such incidents should not be dismissed.
Gauri said, “This is not fiction.”
Savita’s testimony
A woman identified as Savita from Mumbai shared her testimony, stating that she had a similar experience and continues to struggle without support.
She said, “I belong to Mumbai, and the same thing happened to me. There is a place in Mumbai, Mahim Dargah, where girls are taken and made to drink something. The same happened to me. I was given water there, after which I became unconscious and was taken to a house where I was raped. After that, his mother and sister began blackmailing me, and I was forced into a court marriage. Since I had already left my family, I stayed with him. I struggled with him for nine years and I have two small children.”
Referring to her experiences after marriage, she alleged that she was subjected to violence and coercion. She said she was beaten and forced to eat beef against her will, and had to work to support her children.
“I was educated, so I had to work for my children. Whenever I went to work, I had to wear formal clothes, but they would tell others that I worked in a beer bar or that I was involved in immoral activities. If I spoke to colleagues, they would accuse me of having affairs. They would beat me outside the office so badly that my face would be black and blue and I could not show my face to anyone.”
She also claimed that while women around her wore burqas with revealing clothes underneath, Hindu women wearing jeans or T-shirts were labelled as immoral.
She said she continues to struggle on her own without support from her family. “Even today I am struggling. I have no support, not even from my family, because I am fighting on my own and everyone has left me to my fate. I want to say that if families support such girls, they will get a chance to come out of these situations. Many girls think of suicide because they do not know what to do. If they receive support, they can come out of such circumstances.”
She concluded by emphasising that family backing and social support are essential for victims trying to rebuild their lives.
Organisers said the purpose of the programme was to bring survivor voices into public discussion ahead of the release of Kerala Story 2.
The testimonies, they said, were intended to highlight the human dimension behind a controversial subject.
