Conversion bid: Puttur’s Congress leader among 3 arrested

Conversion bid: Puttur’s Congress leader among 3 arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, March 4, 2013  :  Sampya police have arrested three persons including Nooruddin Salmara, District Congress Minorities Cell Secretary, on the charges of attempting to convert a Hindu girl hailing from  Ankathadka in Palthadi village..

 

 

The other two arrested are Altaf from Bettampady and Abdul Azeez, businessman. That the three had attempted to convert a girl came to light when the 19 year old girl Jayanthi, daughter of Narayan Naik, a man belonging to scheduled tribe, was reported missing since Monday last. Here it is noteworthy that the girl  was maritally engaged recently.

What came to light later on was that she was in love with Abdul Azeez and some time back following a tiff between the two families her parents had asked Azeez to  sever ties with  their daughter.

But, Jayanthi went missing soon after her engagement. The police who launched a manhunt arrested Abdul Azeez and on the basis of his information, left for Ponnani where they found the girl, and brought her back.

It has been gathered that the other two including the Congress leader Nooruddin Salmara and Altaf had assisted Azeez in taking the girl to Ponnani. DySP Sadananda Varnekar said Nooruddin was arrested while he was heading towards Kerala in a car with Altaf.
 
Hundreds of locals including Congress leaders and workers had gathered outside the station on gathering news about Salmara’s arrest.All the three arrested were produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody for  14 days.

Earlier, though an appeal was submitted seeking interim bail for Salmara, the same was rejected.

DySP Sadananda Varnekar has said the police would undertake a thorough probe into this case which revolves around a sensitive issue of religious conversion. He also hinted that several others may be taken into custody in the case.