Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers vandalised a salon in Pune's Kothrud area and assaulted its staff members, alleging that a Hindu girl was coerced into accepting Islam by one of the employees, officials said on Tuesday. The video of the incident, which took place on Monday, has gone viral on social media.
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BJP worker Ujwala Goud claimed that the girl was allegedly forced into marriage with Armaan Khan, an employee of the Arsh Unisex Salon in Kothrud, and was pressured to accept Islam against her will. She further claimed that the girl was paid ₹1 lakh to remain silent about the matter.
In the video, BJP workers are seen entering the salon with black paint, threatening the staff. They vandalise the salon and order its closure, before assaulting the staff over the 'love jihad' allegation.
However, when The Free Press Journal spoke with Kothrud Police officials, a different version of events emerged.
Sandeep Deshmane, Senior Police Inspector of Kothrud Police Station, said, "As per initial information, the girl was married to Armaan a year ago. A dispute occurred between them over money. They both work at the same salon. Armaan and the girl were residing in a PG room, and the rent was being paid regularly by the owner. The owner threatened to stop the payments if they did not work properly."
Sambhaji Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3), added, "No technical evidence has been found indicating that love jihad was involved or that the girl was forced to recite the kalma. We have recorded her statement in writing and on video. The matter is under investigation."
According to sources, a heated argument took place between Armaan and the girl at the salon. Following this, the girl contacted a friend, after which BJP workers intervened in the matter. Interestingly, it has also come to light that the girl is not Hindu, but Christian.
