Bengaluru, Oct 25 (NationPress) The Karnataka Police apprehended a man on Saturday for allegedly coercing a girl to convert to Islam as part of their marriage plans. The suspect, Mohammad Ishaq, was taken into custody within the jurisdiction of the Amrutalli police station in Bengaluru.

The incident came to light when the victim lodged a formal complaint against her partner and his relatives, claiming they exerted pressure on her to change her religion for marriage. The complaint was filed at the HSR Layout police station in Bengaluru on Thursday.

As per the police report, the victim met Mohammad Ishaq through Instagram on October 17, 2024. Following some interactions, they entered into a relationship. On October 30, 2024, they met at a mall in the Thanisandra locality of Bengaluru, during which the accused allegedly vowed to speak to her parents about marriage.

Later that day, he reserved a room in Dasarahalli and reportedly sexually exploited her. The victim accused him of repeatedly subjecting her to physical abuse under the guise of marriage. As time passed, she grew suspicious of his actions and learned about his affairs with other girls. Despite her requests for marriage, he continually deferred with excuses.

Further investigations revealed that the accused had become engaged to a Muslim woman on September 14, 2025. When she confronted him about this, he allegedly threatened her, stating she would face dire consequences if she reached out to him again and advised her to move on. The victim also reported verbal abuse using vulgar language.

In a distressing turn of events, the victim attempted suicide. Following this, Mohammad Ishaq’s family contacted hers, proposing a resolution to the matter. However, Ishaq’s elder brother and brother-in-law purportedly informed the girl that she must convert to Islam if she wished to marry him. They allegedly instructed her to learn to perform namaz (prayers) within 40 days, asserting that discussions about marriage would only advance after her conversion.

The situation has escalated, with Hindu organizations reaching out to the victim’s family, framing it as a case of “love jihad” and demanding justice. The police are treating the matter with utmost seriousness and are actively investigating.

It’s worth noting that the BJP has claimed that incidents of “love jihad” are increasing in Karnataka, attributing it to the appeasement policies of the Congress-led government. Former minister and BJP MLC C.T. Ravi has called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate all cases related to love jihad, land jihad, and vote jihad.

BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra echoed concerns about the rising trend of love jihad in the state, alleging it mirrors a “Kerala model” due to minority appeasement politics by Siddaramaiah. “Individuals committing crimes against women and engaging in anti-social activities believe that the state government will shield them, as it hesitates to take action against accused individuals, even in cases involving slogans like ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ at Vidhana Soudha. This policy jeopardizes law and order and instills fear among Hindu families and women,” Vijayendra stated.