Alleges attempts to convert her to Islam over past 12 years

Mumbai: Bandra police registered an FIR against the husband of a former model on Saturday after she filed a complaint alleging that he has been forcing her to convert to Islam for the past 12 years.

Senior Police Inspector Pandit Thackeray said that the 42-year-old former model arrived at Bandra police station at 2 a.m. on Saturday with head injuries. Mr. Thackeray said, “The complainant was crying. She told us that her husband, Asif, had started resorting to violence after she refused to convert to Islam.”

Mr. Thackeray said an officer dropped the model, Rashmi Shahbazker, at her house in Bandra after she filed the complaint. The police said that a notice was issued to her husband.

However, the police said that Ms. Shahbazker claimed that Asif assaulted her again and kicked her in the stomach on reaching home. She is now undergoing treatment for internal injuries at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra.

The police said that Ms. Shahbazker claimed that her husband was on a ‘Love Jihad’ mission. Ms. Shahbazker told The Hindu, “For the past three months, Asif and his cousin Muneef have been saying every woman who marries a Muslim man should convert to Islam. They pressured me and Asif assaulted me when I refused to convert. He hit me with anything that he could lay his hands on, be it bottles, glasses or utensils. On Friday night, he smashed a beer bottle on my head.”

Ms. Shahbazker claimed that Asif had married a woman half his age four months ago and forced her to convert to Islam. She claimed that Asif had banned her from meeting their seven-year-old son. Ms. Shahbazker said, “He is raising our son to be like him, teaching him to despise other religions. I was heartbroken when my son recently told me that I am not a nice person as I do not offer namaaz and perform Hindu rituals instead.”

The police have registered a case of domestic violence against Asif and Muneef under Sections 354, 323, 324, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Mr. Thackeray said, “We are verifying the allegations. We will take action after a full investigation.”

A video of Ms. Shahbazker has also surfaced on the internet in which she is seen crying and accusing her husband of forcing her convert her religion.