By Arun Pratap Singh
Rudrapur, (Udham Singh Nagar), 27 May: Udham Singh Nagar Police safely rescued a 14-year-old Hindu minor girl who had been missing for nearly one month. The case, which involved allegations of ‘love jihad’, had created much uproar among local Hindutva organisations and sparked widespread concern in the area.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manikant Mishra, the main accused in the case, Danish Ali (21 years), son of Shafiq, resident of Ramnagar under Kelakhera police station, was arrested in this connection yesterday. The minor girl has been safely recovered.
It may be recalled that the matter had first come to light on 28 April this year when Kripal Singh, a resident of Barwala, under Kelakhera police station, submitted a written complaint regarding the sudden disappearance of his 14 year-old daughter. On the basis of his complaint, police registered an FIR (Number 57/2025) at Kelakhera police station under Section 140(3) BNS against an unknown person.
SSP Mishra informed media that, considering the seriousness of the matter, four special police teams were constituted. These teams were supported by the Special Operations Group (SOG), surveillance, and cyber cell. The investigation was carried out using both technical and traditional policing methods.
The police teams scanned footage from about 80 CCTV cameras covering all possible routes in the search of the missing girl. Simultaneously, call detail records (CDRs) of nearly 75 mobile numbers belonging to suspects, the abductee, and their family members were analysed. The police also interrogated individuals linked to suspicious numbers, which helped to steer the investigation in the right direction.
The cyber cell played a crucial role by thoroughly examining the Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, email IDs, and Aadhaar card numbers of both the accused and the abductee. This technical scrutiny provided important clues about their possible whereabouts. Police also checked for any digital transactions, travel bookings, and hotel check-ins using Aadhaar or mobile numbers linked to the accused, as is now common in such investigations across the country.
Based on the leads obtained from this research, police conducted raids not only in various districts of Uttarakhand but also in other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Madhya Pradesh. This multi-state operation demonstrated the seriousness and urgency with which the police handled the case. It may be reiterated here that the girl was a minor and this perhaps raised the urgency and necessitated high priority to the investigation.
Yesterday, the police successfully traced the accused Danish and the missing minor girl. Danish was arrested and booked under Sections 137(2), 84, 64(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 5/6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The rescued girl, aged 14 years, has been handed over to her family after completing necessary medical and legal formalities.
In recognition of their dedicated efforts, SSP Manikant Mishra announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kelakhera and his team, and Rs 5,000 for the cyber cell team. The police have also assured that the investigation will continue to ensure strict punishment for all those involved.
Cases of alleged ‘love jihad’ have been a matter of heated debate and concern in Uttarakhand as well. The state government has, in recent years, taken a tough stand against such incidents, with strict laws and fast-tracked investigations. In December 2022, Uttarakhand government passed the Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, further tightening the rules against forced or fraudulent religious conversions as well as against mass conversions, which are often linked to such cases.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also issued advisories to state police forces to ensure prompt action in cases involving minor girls, especially when there is suspicion of abduction or exploitation.
Following the rescue, local residents and members of social organisations have expressed relief and praised the police for their swift action. However, they have also demanded stricter monitoring of such cases and called for more awareness programmes to protect minor children from falling prey to such incidents.
