Plea in SC seeks SIT probe into 'forceful conversion' of Hindus in Haryana's Nuh

The Supreme Court of India. (File photo/ANI]

New Delhi [India], October 30 (ANI): A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the setting up of a special investigating team (SIT) to probe into the alleged forceful conversion of Hindus and crimes against women of the community in Nuh district of Haryana.

"A number of Hindus have been forcibly converted to Islam and a number of Hindu women and minor girls have been abducted and raped. Hindu women are not safe at all. The Muslims at a large number have committed atrocities on members of Schedule caste (as well," the plea, filed by a group of lawyers and social activists on Thursday, claimed.

Alleging that the dominant members of the Muslim community in Nuh district have overpowered Hindus of the area, the petition, filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, sought protection of the fundamental rights of the Hindus.

Also alleging that the life, personal liberty and religious rights of the Hindus in Nuh are being eroded by the Muslims, the plea sought directions for constituting the SIT, consisting of members from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the National Investigation Agency, under the supervision of a retired apex court judge.

The plea urged the top court that the SIT should probe alleged instances of forceful conversion of Hindus, illegal execution of sale deeds of their properties, atrocities committed against Hindu women and girls, encroachment made on public land, conditions of temples and religious places, and cremation grounds existing in the Nuh area.

It said that the local police had failed to exercise the powers vested in them by the law. The plea also sought directions to the Centre to deploy paramilitary forces in Nuh to protect the life and liberty of citizens.

The plea alleged that Muslims, under the patronage of Tablighi Jamaat, have gradually increased their strength and now the position is that "Hindus (sic) population is decreasing and it has come down from 20 per cent to 10-11 per cent since the last census in 2011".

"There are about 431 villages in Mewat-Nuh. As many as 103 villages have become totally devoid of Hindus. In 82 villages, only four-five Hindu families are left. There is a significant decline of Hindu population in the district (Nuh), giving rise to demographic changes, which will be disastrous for the unity of the nation," the plea said.

It added the authorities should be directed to rehabilitate Hindus at their respective properties and restore all temples, places of worship and cremation grounds, which have been encroached upon, in their original forms.

The plea also prayed to nullify all sale deeds executed by the Hindus in the favour of Muslims in the last 10 years "under coercion and undue influence". (ANI)