Ranchi: Hundreds of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists on Monday staged demonstration against the alleged torture of a national shooting champion by her husband in a bid to convert her to Islam.
Protesters demanded immediate arrest of Rakibul Hasab alias Ranjit for forcing his wife Tara to change her religion. Normal life was thrown out of gear in the state capital and other parts of the state as vehicles hardly plied on the roads. The protestors blocked the Purulia Road, Hazaribagh Road and Harmu Road and vandalized several vehicles.
VHP and several other right-wing groups had yesterday called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Ranchi today over the issue. The members of these groups had taken out a torchlight procession yesterday evening to put pressure on the police over the incident involving national gold medalist shooter Tara Shahdeo.
Police sealed the residences of Tara�s husband, Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Khan and seized his cars yesterday. Khan had allegedly impersonated as Ranjit Kohli in a bid to marry the archer through deception, police said.
The VHP is pressing for immediate arrest of Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Khan, who allegedly trapped Tara Shahdeo to convert her to Islam after marrying her.
Ranchi district police meanwhile beefed up security at sensitive places during the bandh. A special task force was set up to arrest Kohli in this connection.
Police booked Khan under Sections 498 (A) relating to domestic violence, 153 (A) relating to forced marriage and 295 (A) relating to forcible change of religion.
The SSP of Ranchi said Kohli�s mother Kaushalya Devi was a Muslim before her marriage to Harman Kohli. He said they were trying to ascertain if she had converted to Hinduism after marriage. �We have found no documentary evidence that Kohli had converted to Islam as claimed by his wife. Two residences of Kohli in Argora and Ashok Nagar areas have been sealed and seven vehicles have also been seized,� he said.
Shahdeo had lodged an FIR on Wednesday with the Hindpirhi police station against her husband while claiming that Kohli used to subject her to mental and physical torture and pressurize her to convert to Islam.
She had also reportedly claimed that Kohli and 20 other people forced her to change her religion on the first night of their marriage. When she refused, she was allegedly beaten up and a dog was made to bite her. The marriage was solemnized as per Hindu rituals.
Kohli has gone missing after the FIR was lodged against him. Tara alleged that he had converted to Islam five years back and hidden the fact from her.
Shahdeo met Kohli during her shooting sessions in Hotwar. They were married this year in July according to Hindu rituals.
