‘My husband was arrested just because he married a Hindu girl’: Rahat’s wife alleges police misbehaviour

Lucknow: Amidst Kasganj communal tension, the marriage of a Hindu girl and a Muslim man is the subject of discussion. On March 2017, Surbhi Chauhan (20) got married to Rahat (27); both had a love marriage. Following Chandan Gupta’s killing on January 26, during Tiranga yatra, the love marriage of the couple is on the target.

Surbhi says that Rahat’s only mistake was that he had married a Hindu girl and claimed that whatever happened during tiranga yatra has nothing to do with her husband. Surbhi who was shattered on the arrest of her husband, says, on January 26 she was watching the news with her husband. They saw that communal clash occurred at Balram gate crossroad. Meanwhile, Rahat got a call informing him that clashes are going on. ‘People called Rahat, but I stopped him from going. The next day we were going to Aligarh when police caught us, I pleaded to spare my husband, but police said, had all the Thakurs died that you went away with a Muslim? Didn’t you find anyone?’ Saying this Surbhi burst into tears. She said ‘police misbehaved with my husband, I kept on pleading but to no avail. Police could not arrest the culprit, and are arresting the innocent.’

‘I want that my husband is exonerated. He has been arrested just because he married a Hindu girl.’ On the question of whether Surbhi’s family is being the arrest of Rahat, she says ‘my family didn’t accept my marriage but they cannot do like this. They don’t talk to me but they also don’t involve in our relationship.’

Surbhi says she worship Hindu idols at her house, and Rahat has no objection to it, instead he himself does puja along with her. He also offers namaz. Surbhi’s mother in law Reshma and father Zafar also echoed her statement.

65-year-old, Zafar says while weeping, we have never forced Surbhi to accept Islam.