LUCKNOW: BJP MLA Rajeshwar Singh on Thursday urged UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to amend state laws dealing with heinous crimes and proposed stricter punishment for ‘love jihad’ in view of the gruesome killing of a woman by her inter-faith partner in Delhi recently.
In his six-page letter to the CM, he sought amendment to the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, to enable speedy justice in such cases. He said there is a need to broaden the definition of allurement in cases of ‘love jihad’ and it must include marriage, or a promise of marriage or conjugal relationship or live-in relationship.
A copy of the MLA’s letter has also been marked to Union law minister Kiren Rijiju.
“The bone-chilling incident of a man murdering and then chopping the body of a woman into 35 pieces is reminiscent of ‘love jihad’ crimes reported recently from across the nation. A series of similar events has led to a scenario of perpetual fear, profound distress bordering on a sense of alarm in the community and is, therefore, definitely a cause of concern for all legislators across the country,” reads the letter.
“Such hate crimes do not deserve to be treated as regular criminal acts, necessitating a fast-track approach to investigations, charge-sheet and trial, within the framework of our rule of law, thereby ensuring that the trust reposed by the common man on our criminal justice system is not impacted adversely,” Singh said while also mentioning that he had engaged with different sections of society and compiled their thoughts for the chief minister’s consideration.
‘Love jihad’ is a term used by right-wing groups and activists to allege a concerted effort by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through marriage.
Singh was referring to the killing of Shraddha Walkar, 27, allegedly by her partner, Aftab Poonawala, 28, in Delhi’s Mehrauli area in May this year. Poonawala had allegedly strangled Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces, which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence before dumping them across the city over several days past midnight, according to police.
“In order to ensure that such offences are not repeated in the future, it is necessary that we adopt a time-bound schedule for investigations and trial such that the investigation is completed within 60 days of the registration of the offence and the trial within 60 days thereafter,” stated the police officer-turned-politician.
Singh also praised the state government for enacting the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act (UPPCRA), 2021, but added that its scope needs to be expanded to address heinous offences. He also mentioned some laws, which were amended in the past in the wake of an increase in specific kinds of crime.
