Man, brother released in 'love jihad' case after wife's testimony in UP's Moradabad

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 20 (ANI): A man from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district, who was held under the state's new anti-conversion law, along with his brother were released on Saturday. This came after the testimony of Rashid's wife where she said that she got married willingly.
"...The mother of the girl had registered the case in the police station. Police probed the case and arrested the husband and his brother. When the statement of the girl was recorded, she said that there is no case of love jihad and that she is an adult and got married on her own will," said MD Iqbal, who is Rashid's lawyer.
He further said that both men were released on a personnel bond of Rs 50,000 each.
Rashid, who got released from jail expressed happiness. "I have been released from jail. I was in prison for 15 days. I am really delighted to be free," he said. He further said that he had done both conventional and court marriage with his wife.
One of Rashid's neighbours, who was accompanying him, thanked the authorities for the release. "We are happy that the mistakes committed by the authorities have been rectified," said the neighbour of Rashid.
Earlier this month, a case was registered against two men under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 in Kanth Tehsil of Moradabad.
Vidyacharan Shukla, Superintendent of Police, Moradabad Rural had said that the case was registered based on the complaint of daughter's mother. The Man is from Kanth and the girl is from Bijnor. The woman had said, "I am 22-year-old and married Rashid 5 months ago as per my wish."
Recently, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel had promulgated the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020. The new law mandates a jail term of the accused between one to five years, with Rs 15,000 penalty, if convicted for carrying out forceful conversions for marriage. (ANI)