Shraddha murder: religious groups halt a Hindu-Muslim marriage

Mumbai: Local organisation objected to the conduct of a reception function of an interfaith marriage in Mumbai's Vasai town in the wake of Shraddha Walkar's murder. Police said that the said marriage reception, which got cancelled subsequently, belonged to a Hindu-Muslim couple, PTI reported.

The event was scheduled on Sunday evening at a hall in the Vasai West area.

Shraddha Walkar (27) and her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala who was arrested for allegedly murdering her brutally in May this year, hailed from Vasai in the Palghar district near Mumbai.

On Friday, a news channel editor tweeted a picture of the reception invite and linked it to the Walkar murder case using hashtags 'LoveJihad' and 'ActOfTerrorism'.

The tweet went viral, and it was after that local Hindu and Muslim organisations in the area contacted the owner of the hall where the event was scheduled to cancel the same to keep peace in the area.

The couple's families went to the police station and informed them that the event was put on hold.

Police detailed that the bride was a 29-year-old Hindu woman and the groom a 32-year-old Muslim, and they had known other for 11 years. Members of both families supported their relationship, and the couple had a registered marriage in court on November 17. There is no so-called Love Jihad angle to this case.

Around 200 guests were expected for the reception on Sunday; families had told the police.

'Love Jihad' refers to allegations by some right-wing organisations that there exists a conspiracy to convert Hindu women to Islam by marrying them.