Jharkhand conversion case: Husband sent to police custody

Ranchi: A Jharkhand court here Friday remanded in three days' police custody a man, who married national-level shooter Tara Shadeo pretending to be a Hindu and allegedly forced her to change her religion.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi, sent Ranjit Kohli alias Rakibul Hassan to the police custody, a day after the same court sent the accused to 14 days' judicial custody.

The court Friday reversed it decision after Ranchi police pleaded with it for Hassan's remand.

Hassan was arrested Tuesday from New Delhi.

In another development, Mustaq Ahmad, vigilance registrar with the Jharkhand High Court, was suspended Thursday.

Shadeo had alleged that it was Mustaq Ahmad who organised her nikah with Hassan, after her marriage was soleminsed in accordance with Hindu rituals.

"If needed, we will interrogate Mustaq Ahmad. We will interrogate people who were present at nikah of Shadeo," Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told reporters Friday.

"We have assured Shadeo that justice will be done and she does not need to fear regarding connections of Ranjit alias Hassan," Kumar said.

In her complaint to police, Sahdeo, a national-level gold-medallist rifle shooting champion, said she got married in July this year to a person named Ranjit Kohli.

She said the marriage was solemnised in accordance with Hindu rituals.

However, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when people invited her husband for Iftar, she came to know from invitation cards that her husband's original name was Rakibul Hassan.

She also alleged that Hassan and 20 other people forced her to change her religion. When she refused, she was allegedly beaten up and a dog was set upon her.

Sahdeo alleged that she was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the conversion.

She was kept under close vigil but when Hassan went to New Delhi Aug 19, she sent a message to her family members and was rescued.