Love Jihad Propaganda Leads to Life Imprisonment of Muslim Youth in Uttar Pradesh

In a controversial ruling, Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly Additional District Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar sentenced 25-year-old Mohammad Alim to life imprisonment for raping a 20-year-old student, who alleged he deceived her by posing as Hindu.

The judge claimed that groups lure Hindu women into relationships to force illegal religious conversions, threatening national unity. Alim’s father received a two-year sentence for aiding his son. Despite the victim retracting her statements, citing pressure from Hindu organizations, Judge Diwakar expressed skepticism about her retraction.

This case has reignited discussions on “Love Jihad,” a term used by some to describe alleged coercive conversions through relationships. Critics argue that such narratives unfairly target the Muslim community. Judge Diwakar has faced scrutiny for previous communal remarks and controversial rulings, raising concerns about judicial impartiality in politically charged cases.