An FIR was registered against nine persons, including a local man living in London, for allegedly converting more than 100 tribals from 37 families of Kakariya village in Amod taluka in Bharuch into Islam using foreign funds. The tribals were from Vasava Hindu community, police said.
According to Bharuch police, the incident came to light following a complaint by an Amod resident, who was also converted.
“The accused persons took advantage of the weak economic condition and illiteracy among the members of the tribal community to lure them into conversion,” an officer of Bharuch police said.
Police have lodged a complaint against nine persons under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The accused have been identified as Shabbir Bakerywala, Samad Bakerywala, Abdul Aziz Patel, Yusuf Patel,
Ayyub Patel, Ibrahim Patel, Fefdawala Haji Abdulla, Hasan Tisli and Ismail Achhodwala.
All the accused are local residents barring one who is residing in London and identified as Fefdawala Haji Abdul, who collected funds from abroad for the purpose, police said.
“The accused lured the people using foreign funds. The complainant was also a victim of the (alleged) conversion. He has mentioned the names of 15 others. We are collecting evidence,” said Bharuch District Superintendent of Police RV Chudasma.
“The illegal religious conversion activity by Fanatic fundamentalists using funds collected from abroad has been going on for long in the village. The accused persons lured the Vasava Hindu community members by offering them money and other help to convert them fraudulently by entering into a criminal conspiracy hatched to spread animosity between members of two communities and affect peace,” Bharuch police said in a statement.
Source : Indian Express
