The Kanpur police has set up an eight-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations into several cases of forced conversion on the pretext of marriage.

The decision was taken after about 11 cases of 'love jihad' were reported in the past one month from the same district and Hindu organisations met IG Kanpur Mohit Agarwal demanding probe into the matter.

The issue surfaced after a Kanpur woman, Shalini Yadav, married a Muslim man, Faisal, in July.

The girl's family alleged was of love jihad though the couple approached a Delhi court, denying allegations of forced conversion. Shalini even uploaded a video on the social media, claiming that she had married and converted out of her own free will.

The SIT led by Deepak Bhuker, superintendent of police, Kanpur (South), has been told to look into any fixed pattern or modus operandi behind the alleged incidents, the official said.

The special investigation team (SIT) will also investigate the alleged role of Islamic organisations in such cases.

Interestingly, most of the cases of alleged love jihad are being reported from Juhi area. The SIT will investigate if any Islamic organisation has a role in funding the 'love jihad' racket in Kanpur, an official said.

"There is a strong possibility that some Islamic outfits may be providing financial assistance to a handful of organisations involved in such anti-national acts," the official claimed. Police are looking into the conspiracy angle to ascertain if youths involved in this are being funded from abroad.

SP Deepak Bhuker said the help of a special SWAT team has been sought for surveillance.

The SIT has contacted local police stations and sought details of all alleged "love jihad" cases reported in the past two years, he said.

Bhuker said the probe team has been extracting records related to a dozen phone numbers to establish links.

They have been gathering information about such couples, their bank accounts and recording statements of their family members, Bhuker said. Phone numbers of their aides have also been extracted.

Bhuker, however, said in the case involving Shalini Yadav, the couple had approached the Delhi high court and later appeared before a magistrate at the Tees Hazari court in the national capital, denying the allegations.

He said the woman had said that she was a major and married a man of her choice.

Since the woman is a major and there is nothing for police to do, a closure report will be sent to the court soon, the SP said.

Police are also trying to zero in on cases where the youth hid their true identity to marry women.

The Kanpur police has also arrested two men -- Mohsin Khan and Aamir -- in an alleged 'love jihad' case. Mohsin Khan allegedly befriended a girl, posing as Sameer and then married her, the official added.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

Juhi area

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