2 booked under MP's new anti-conversion law, 1 nabbed from UP

Madhya Pradesh Police haveregistered a case against two men under the state's new lawwhich penalises religious conversions through fraudulentmeans, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused allegedly used fake names to lure twominor girls from Mandsaur in MP on the pretext of marriage,raped them and asked them to convert their religion, he said.

One of the accused was arrested last week fromneighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the police said.

A 16-year-old girl initially became friends with oneof the accused after she received a call from an unknownnumber on her mobile phone, Suwasra police station's sub-inspector Ritesh Damor said.

Later, she persuaded her 15-year-old friend living inthe neighbourhood to run away from home with her.

Both the girls left their homes on February 1following which their parents filed a missing complaint atSuwasra police station, the official said.

While searching for them, a team from Suwasra policestation reached Delhi and got some clues about the location ofthe girls.

The police team subsequently traced the girls to aroom at Chandpur village in UP's Bijnor district last week,the official said.

During questioning, the 16-year-old girl said shebefriended a man, who had identified himself as Akash, afterreceiving a call from him about months back, Damor said.

Later, theman called the girl and her friend to cometo Bijnor on the pretext of marriage.

The girls were allegedly raped and detained by the manand his friend, he said.

The official said the girls also alleged that theywere told to convert their religion for marriage.

The girls also said they later found that Akash's realname was Irfan, he said.

During the police raid in Bijnor last week, Irfan fledwhile his friend and co-accused Sahil (19) was arrested, theofficial said.

A case has been registered against both the accusedunder sections for rape and abduction and provisions of thenew anti-conversion law, he said.

The Madhya Pradesh government last month promulgatedthe Freedom of Religion- 2020 ordinance which penalisesreligious conversions by use of misrepresentation, allurement,use of threat of force, undue influence, coercion or marriageor by any other fraudulent means.

It provides for 10 years in jail in some cases.