Muzaffarnagar,

29 Oct (HS): According to authorities, two males were detained here on

Wednesday for reportedly abducting a Dalit underage girl, illegally changing

her religion, and solemnizing marriage with her. Police said the arrests were

made on Tuesday night, and the crime happened earlier this month. Circle

Officer (Budhana) Gajendra Pal Singh stated that the main accused, Talib (25),

and his colleague, Shadab (23), were charged under several provisions of the

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of

Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.

They have

also been accused under Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

(Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012, he added.

According to

the FIR filed by the victim's brother, Talib abducted the youngster on October

5 with the assistance of his buddy Shadab.

She was brought to Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and reportedly forced to

convert to Islam before marrying Talib by 'nikah'. The accusation further

claimed that the accused sexually molested the minor while she was confined. According

to police, the girl was retrieved from Jabalpur on October 26 and returned to

Muzaffarnagar. Following her recovery,

both suspects were apprehended in the Budhana area on Tuesday. Police said that

further investigation is underway.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi