The police in Dakshina Kannada district are investigating the case of a woman who went missing two days before her wedding, even as pro-Hindu groups have alleged that this is a case of ‘love jihad’.
Priyanka, the bride-to-be, a resident of Daregudde in Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada, went missing on December 9, after the mehendi celebrations for her wedding. Her family has filed a missing persons complaint at the Moodbidri police station.
Rumours of Priyanka eloping with Hyder, a man from the nearby Farangipete village, have flown thick and fast in the area. Pro-Hindutva groups have allegedly pressured the police to solve the case fast, failing which they have threatened to hold widespread protests.
Dakshina Kannada district Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President KP Jagadish Adhikari and Rajasekharananda Swami, of Vajradehi Mutt, have also raised questions about Priyanka’s disappearance.
Adhikari, who is also from Dharegudde village, asked whether this was another case of ‘love jihad’. "All was well in their (Priyanka and Dinesh's [her fiancé’s]) relationship until Hyder arrived," he was quoted saying in Times of India. Rajasekharananda, expressing his unhappiness with the probe, reportedly asked the police to find her in the next four days.
“We are still investigating the case and we will not be affected by the statements made by others. All we know is that a girl went missing on the night of December 9 and we are still following leads to investigate what happened,” said Ramachandra Naik, police officer at Moodbidri Police station.
Her family received a letter, allegedly written by Priyanka, which claims she is happy with Hyder and that they should stop looking for her. “The family is saying that the handwriting in the letter doesn’t match Priyanka’s,” Naik added.
Recently, a 20-year-old Hindu woman in Mangaluru was forced to break off her relationship with a Muslim man after sustained pressure from a right-wing group.
Members of Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, “counselled” the woman, alleging that her boyfriend was a drug dealer.