Muslim Man Harass Minor Hindu Girl [Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh]

(Reported as seen)

On June 3rd, Aligarh police arrested Arvaaz, a Muslim man, for harassing a minor Hindu girl in the Quarsi area of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, the girl’s father caught Arvaaz red-handed at around 7 PM as she was returning home from her tuition classes.

Following the arrest, on July 7th, Siasat published a report claiming that Arvaaz was beaten and stripped merely for talking to a Hindu girl. The report implied that members of the Hindu community had wrongfully targeted Arvaaz under the pretext of “love jihad,” a term used to describe alleged campaigns by Muslim men to convert Hindu women through marriage.

The video of the incident, which quickly went viral on social media, further fueled the controversy. Siasat’s report was replicated by Muslim Mirror and picked up by several social media handles known for propagating Hinduphobic narratives. These platforms attempted to set a narrative that the Hindu community had assaulted a Muslim youth without just cause.

A user on social media platform X, Saba Khan, claimed, “A Muslim youth was stripped naked and beaten by members of Hindutva organisations in front of police for talking with a Hindu girl in the Quarsi area of Aligarh on 3 June. Hindutva organisations alleged love jihad. BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti issued a warning to the administration asking them to curb the love jihad cases else they’ll handle themselves.”

However, local reports and the police investigation reveal that Arvaaz was arrested for harassing the minor girl, and his actions were not as benign as portrayed by some media outlets. The incident has sparked significant debate and controversy, with differing perspectives on the motivations behind both the assault and the subsequent arrest.

This case highlights the deepening communal tensions and the complexities of navigating interfaith interactions in certain regions. It underscores the need for a balanced and thorough investigation to ensure justice is served and to prevent the exploitation of such incidents for propagandist purposes.