The Karnataka police have arrested five Muslims for forcibly converting a Hindu man to Islam. The arrested persons have been identified as Ansar Pasha, a former corporater in Bengaluru, Nayaz Pasha, Haaji Saab, Ataur Rehman, and Shoib. The policy already had arrested two of the accused, and the other three were arrested on Thursday. The victim named Sridhar Gangadhar is a native of the Mandya district. Sridhar’s parents had passed away and his father’s older brother was the legal owner of the family’s property. The family was antagonistic toward him after he initiated a case in this matter. He had joined a cyber centre as a result of his financial problems. Sridhar had spoken about his concerns with a Muslim man he knew. The man had brought Sridhar to a Muslim cleric. There, the accused promised him help and transferred him Rs. 50,000.
Sridhar Gangadhar said, “I knew this person named Rehman from past two-and-half-year. I told him about my poor financial condition and financial issues that I was going through. He then told me that he will get meet someone who will resolve my problems.” Sridhar was forced to convert to Islam and follow further instructions. He underwent the circumcision ritual carried out on him by the perpetrators. Despite his objections, the perpetrators fed Sridhar beef and sent him to various locations to study the Quran.
“He (Rehman) took me to Banashankari mosque in Bengaluru and introduced me to Aziz Sab, who first told negative things about Hindu gods and goddesses and then showed how Allah is only one god”, Sridhar told the Police. “After getting back to consciousness, I asked them about what they did to me and they thought I might cause them a trouble. Fearing that, they locked me and circumcised and tortured me. I was even made to eat beef,” he added.
Sridhar did not want to continue further, but the perpetrators forced him to get converted to Islam. According to the victim’s complaint, the perpetrators handed him a gun, took his picture, and threatened to post it online to brand him as a terrorist if he did not convert at least three Hindus. The police have launched an investigation into the possibility of the perpetrators running a business of religious conversion to Islam.
