Express News Service Posted online: Monday, December 19, 2005 at 0439 hours IST Updated: Monday, December 19, 2005 at 1031 hours IST
Vadodara, December 19: Bollywood star Fardeen Khan’s inter-religion marriage with Natasha Madhvani may not have created any ripple, but a Muslim boy marrying a Hindu girl in the small town of Karjan has raised the hackles of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The saffron brigade has now called Karjan bandh on Monday.
On Sunday night, police was patrolling in Karjan town in view of the tense situation created by the VHP’s bandh call. Vadodara (Rural) SP Wabang Jamir said: ‘‘Taking note of the tense situation in Karjan, about five sub-inspectors along with their forces and SRP constables have been posted there to control any untoward happenings during the bandh on Monday.’’ The couple in question are chartered accountancy student Imran Mehboob Sheikh (22) and law student Prachi Hiteshchandra Shah (21). They eloped about six days back, and evidence available with police say the couple had married in a court — though secretly— about six months back.
When Prachi’s father Hiteshchandra Shah came to know about the elopement, he came to Imran’s house at Navabazar’s Hussain Faliya area with two BJP corporators and seven VHP activists. They allegedly threatened Imran’s illiterate mother Hamida Sheikh (54). That was on Friday evening.
In a complaint lodged with Karjan police, Hamida said that she was assaulted and was asked to persuade her son to divorce Prachi or face dire consequences. Karjan Sub Inspector B N Solanki visited the spot and subsequently a complaint was registered against nine persons for unlawful assembly, rioting and assault.
The police arrested BJP corporators Bipul Patrawadia and Gajanan Gandhi, VHP activist Hitesh Raman Shah and six other VHP activists. They were released on bail by a court on Saturday. VHP’s joint secretary (South Gujarat), Gopal Chavda, however claimed that their meeting with Hamidaben was peaceful. He said: ‘‘in the last three months, four such marriages have taken place. We consider it a threat to our culture. The bandh is called to make people aware that Muslim youths are a threat to our culture.’’
On Sunday, VHP activist Hitesh Raman Shah lodged a cross-complaint against Hamidaben and her neighbours, alleging that they were assaulted when they had gone there to talk to her.
Sub Inspector Solanki said: ‘‘the couple had posted copies of their marriage certificates and Prachi’s conversion certificate to the police and their parents. Their whereabouts are undisclosed as of now.’’
