l Vij, Home Minister of Haryana on Monday said that he has instructed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 'Love Jihad' angle into the case, in which a 21-year-old college student was shot point-blank outside her college allegedly by a stalker and his friend in Faridabad district's Ballabhgarh, last week.
Addressing a press conference, Vij said, "In the Ballabhgarh incident, the girl's parents have alleged that their daughter was caught in an instance of 'Love-Jihad'. Other cases like this have intermittently surfaced too. I have also instructed the SIT (Ballabgarh) to look into an angle of 'Love-Jihad' in its study on the case."
'Love-Jihad' has been often used to describe interfaith relationships.
"We are also deliberating with our coalition partners and other states like Uttar Pradesh on whether to bring in any law in this regard. We are a democratic country and problems are only solved with laws, not sticks. So we will make this law having discussed it with all," Vij said.
"We want that if there is a conspiracy to encourage religious conversions in the state then strict action should be taken to stop it," he added.
Yesterday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the Haryana government was contemplating a law against "love jihad".
"Since Ballabgarh woman killing case is being linked with 'love jihad,' Centre as well as state government is looking into it, and considering legal provisions so that guilty is not able to escape, and no innocent person is punished," the Chief Minister had said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted by the Haryana government to probe the Ballabgarh case. The main accused, Tausheef and his accomplice Rehan have so far been arrested and sent to 14 days judicial custody. The man who allegedly provided country-made pistol to Touseef has also been nabbed.
The final year commerce student was shot dead on October 26 (Monday) afternoon outside her college in Ballabgarh, where she had gone to take an exam. The 21-year-old was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
( With inputs from ANI )
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