THANE: The Thane police has started an investigation in the case of assault by a police officer with a social worker and lawyer who visited with the case related to an alleged 'love jihad' in Ulhasnagar Township of the district.
The police sources said that on October 7 , a 24-year-old Hindu girl ran away with a 26-year-old Muslim youth working in the nearby factory. The girl’s family blamed that when the parents tried to complain about the matter, the local Ulhasnagar police refused to take the complaint of the family members saying that the girl is an adult.
When the police did not listen to the girl’s family, social activist Anil Tiwari and lawyer Shiva Pandey, with girl’s family visited the police station asking that if they cannot register case related to "love jihad" angle, they can at least register theft case against girl because she had also run away with some gold jewellery from house.
Tiwari told TOI, "When we demanded the police to register at least theft case, the cops took me and lawyer Shiva Pandey into a room where a police inspector level officer with two of his staff snatched our mobile phones and started beaten up and later made us to sit outside the lock room like an accused".
Tiwari later complained about the same to the state government. In the same case, on Tuesday, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane visited to the Ulhasnagar police station with the girl's family, Tiwari and lawyer. Rane met to assistant commissioner of police Motichand Rathod demanding action into alleged "love jihad" case and misbehaviour of police officers with activist and lawyer.
Rane told media person that, "To stop Love Jihad cases in Maharshtra, he will raise the issue in assembly to bring the law and act in Maharshtra on line of UP, Madhya Pradesh and Karnatka". Rane also said that, "The police have assured us action against policemen who assaulted lawyer and activist and if action not happens than I will complain to CM and Deputy CM".
Talking to TOI, Rathod said that, "The investigation has been ordered into allegation of misbehaviour with activist and lawyer and action will be taken against the policeman found guilty".
However, Rathod alleged that in girl’s missing case they had sent a team to West Bengal’s Virbhum district and traced the girl but the girl at the local police station said that she was with the youth out of her own will and she wants to get married so as per legality they cannot take any action in the case.
