FIR filed against Farman Khan under POCSO Act along with relevant provisions of the BNS
- This case once again highlights the grave danger of love jihad, where Hindu girls are systematically targeted and trapped through deception by jihadis.
- The brazen use of a fake birth certificate to solemnise the marriage of a 16-year-old Hindu girl with a Muslim exposes the well-organised network operating across states.
- It is high time the Central Government takes this issue seriously and enacts a strict nationwide anti-love jihad law to effectively protect Hindu girls from such exploitation. – Editor, HJS
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has confirmed that Monalisa, a tribal Hindu girl from Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, was a minor at the time of her marriage to Farman Khan.
According to hospital records from Maheshwar, Monalisa was born on 30 December 2009. She was only 16 years old when the marriage was solemnised on 11 March 2026 at the Arumanoor Sri Nainaar Deva Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The NCST inquiry, conducted under the chairmanship of Antar Singh Arya, found that a fake birth certificate showing her age as 18 years was submitted for marriage registration at a Gram Panchayat in Kerala. The temple authorities reportedly relied solely on Aadhaar cards provided by the couple.
Following the NCST findings, Khargone police in Madhya Pradesh registered an FIR against Farman Khan under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal conspiracy and unlawful marriage, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The NCST has taken strong note of the case and has issued summons to the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of both Kerala and Madhya Pradesh to appear before the Commission in New Delhi on 22 April 2026. It has also directed submission of progress reports on the investigation every three days.
The girl’s family had opposed the relationship and raised concerns over the interfaith marriage. The couple had sought police protection in Kerala citing family opposition. However, the NCST probe has now established clear evidence of age manipulation to facilitate the marriage of a minor Hindu tribal girl.
This case once again highlights the serious issue of ‘love jihad’, where Hindu girls, especially minors from vulnerable communities, are targeted through deception, including forgery of documents.