JAMMU: Two minor Hindu girls, identified as Roopi and Seeta, daughters of a man identified as Raamji, were reportedly abducted from their house, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to Muslim men Amjad Solangi and Mansoor Solangi. A video of the girls crying inconsolably outside a court has now gone viral in Tando Allahyar district of Sindh. In the video, the sisters are pleading that they be sent to their home so that they reunite with their parents.
The court, however, ordered that the girls be put in a safe house and turned down their request for being allowed to be with their parents. The minor Hindu sisters from Ibrahim Colony in Tando Allahyar were presented before a court on Wednesday in connection with a reported kidnapping case that emerged last week. There are allegations by their family members and minority-rights advocates that the girls were abducted, converted to Islam and subsequently married to Muslim men.
Meanwhile, another minor Hindu girl was reported to have been abducted by unknown men on Thursday in the same district, Tando Allahyar. Concern has intensified in Tando Allahyar following reports that 14-year-old Hindu girl, identified as Pansi Kolhi, has allegedly been abducted from Ashfaq Town.
After the court proceedings, the two girls were ordered to be kept in a safe house for two days, according to information provided about the case. People present outside the court reported hearing the girls repeatedly appeal to be allowed to return to their families, saying: “Let us go to our parents.”
Families demand protection, independent investigation
Their families maintain that both girls are minors and have called for providing them protection and a transparent investigation into the circumstances of the case. The reported statements have added another important dimension to the case: authorities must establish the girls’ wishes in circumstances where they can speak freely, independently and without pressure from any party.
If the girls are minors, their age and vulnerability should be taken into consideration throughout the investigation and any judicial proceedings. In many such cases, the investigating agencies, particularly police, fail to do their duty and connive with the abductors, instead of helping the families which have lost their daughters.
Activists said that if the ages are verified, both girls would fall within the definition of a child under the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013. The Act defines a child as a person under 18 years of age, regardless of sex. The legislation provides penalties for contracting, conducting, facilitating or otherwise bringing about a child marriage. It also classifies offences under the Act as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.
So far, no action has been taken against Amjad Solangi and Mansoor Solangi, men accused of carrying out the abductions, forced conversions and marrying these minor girls. They produced nikahnamas before the court but failed to produce official documents recording the age of the girls. In such cases, even the clergy who connive and perform the nikah are culpable and liable to be punished.
Given all this, establishing the age of the girls, through authoritative records, becomes the most vital for the police. They should take into account complaints from the family and supporters who have alleged that the sisters were abducted and subsequently subjected to forced religious conversion before their reported marriages.
Sindh Renaissance brings out facts in several cases
According to a report of Sindh Renaissance, the investigation should establish, among other things, when and where the girls disappeared, who they were with when they were located, whether they travelled voluntarily or were taken against their will. Furthermore, when any conversion allegedly took place, and under what circumstances the reported marriages occurred should also be impartially investigated.
The question of religious conversion should also be examined separately from the question of the girls’ safety and freedom of choice. A change in religious identity by itself does not establish coercion. Conversely, an allegation of voluntary conversion should not prevent authorities from investigating claims of abduction, threats, coercion or exploitation.
If the girls are minors, their statements should be obtained in a child-sensitive and independent environment, away from individuals who could potentially influence, intimidate or pressure them. Their wishes should be assessed carefully, taking into account their ages and circumstances, Hindu activists have pleaded.
The reported plea to return to their parents therefore warrants careful consideration. It should neither be dismissed automatically nor treated, by itself, as conclusive evidence of the wider allegations. The circumstances in which the statements were made must also be examined, they added.
Questions authorities need to answer
According to the portal, several important questions remain outstanding in the present case and these are:
- What do the girls’ official birth records and NADRA records establish about their ages
- Has an FIR been registered regarding their reported disappearance or alleged abduction?
- What evidence has been collected concerning how and where the girls were located?
- When and where did the alleged conversions take place?
- Who conducted or facilitated the reported marriages?
- What does the court record state about the girls’ ages and statements?
- Were the girls able to speak independently and without pressure?
- What evidence supports or contradicts the family’s allegations?
- Have child-protection authorities formally assessed the girls’ welfare and safety?
Hindu Kolhi community girl abducted
According to information circulating among local community representatives, Pansi was allegedly taken from the area on September 9 night. Her whereabouts were reportedly unknown as of September 10, prompting calls for her immediate recovery and a transparent investigation.
Community members say the girl belongs to the Hindu Kolhi community and that her age is recorded as 14 in her B-Form. They have urged police and other authorities to locate her and ensure her safety. Local representatives also claim that an FIR concerning Pansi’s alleged abduction was registered at the Women Police Station in Tando Allahyar.
Community representatives have claimed that six Hindu minor girls were converted to Islam and married within a period of about 10 days. This figure, however, could not be independently verified through police records, court documents or an official government statement available so far.
The issue has received increased attention in recent days following reports concerning two Hindu sisters from Ibrahim Colony, Tando Allahyar. According to September 2026 reporting, the sisters were presented before a court in connection with a disputed kidnapping, conversion and marriage case. Their families allege that the girls were abducted and married after conversion, while questions have been raised about their ages.
Sindh law sets marriage age at 18
Under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, a person below 18 is legally considered a child, and a marriage involving a person under 18 is classified as a child marriage. The Sindh government continues to list the Act among the province’s laws concerning child protection.
The Sindh Judicial Academy’s updated laws list also includes the Child Marriage Restraint Act, while the provincial legislation provides penalties for parties involved in solemnising or facilitating child marriages.
The law is particularly relevant in cases where the age of a girl is disputed. Establishing age through reliable birth records, B-Form/NADRA documentation and, where necessary, judicially ordered medical assessment can be central to determining whether child-marriage provisions apply.
