UP police arrest Maulana’s son under the ‘love jihad’ law
Abdullah was arrested from Gautam Buddha Nagar and is currently being interrogated about funding sources and links with other accused including his father in the case.
Hyderabad: Abdullah, the son of prominent Muslim scholar Maulana Mohammed Umar Gautam, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) under the states’ anti-conversion (or as it is popularly known) love jihad law on Sunday.
Abdullah was arrested from Gautam Buddha Nagar and is currently being interrogated about funding sources and links with other accused including his father in the case. The state police have accused Muslim scholars and institutions of running religious conversion syndicates across India.
At least 17 Muslims have been arrested by the ATS in connection with the case so far, including Maulana Umar Gautam, Abdullah, Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Adam, Arslaan Mustafa, Kaushar Alam, and Mohammad Hafiz Idris.
Abdullah’s father and prominent Islamic scholar Umar Gautam was arrested on 20 June this year.
Many including Opposition parties, rights activists, Muslim leaders, and international rights watchdogs have been raising concerns about the new Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020 calling it a blot on an individual’s civil liberties and fundamental rights.
The law, came into force in the form of an ordinance in Uttar Pradesh on November 28 last year and has been introduced in other state legislatures as well.
