By Express News Service

KOCHI: Allegations of 'love jihad' have surfaced again in Kerala after a 24-year-old woman lodged a complaint of sexual abuse against her ex-employer. The police on Tuesday arrested Ali Makkar, 54, a native of Paipra village, who runs Aleena Tours and Travels in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, on charges of rape.

The accused sexually assaulted her multiple times at his travel agency office in Muvattupuzha and then at locations like Goa, Mysuru and Wagamon for nearly a year in 2019, as per the complaint. The Muvattupuzha police on Monday registered a case based on the statement of the victim under sections 376 (rape) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC. Following this, the accused, who has a wife and family, was on the run in order to evade arrest.

The 'love jihad' angle came up following allegations that the accused, who belongs to the Muslim community, promised to marry the complainant, a Christian, if she converts to Islam. The victim lodged a complaint when the accused threatened her while she was at her house in Thodupauzha after leaving the job. She also complained that the accused promised her money to conceal the issue.

However, the police are yet to receive clinching evidence to prove the accused was guilty of 'love jihad'. The accused will be produced before the court on Tuesday.

"We will record the statement of the victim once again as part of our probe into the alleged 'love jihad' angle. Only then can we ascertain whether such an issue was behind the incident," said Muvattupuzha CI MA Mohammed.

Earlier, the Synod of the Syro Malabar Church had expressed apprehensions about Christian girls being targeted in the name of 'love jihad' in the state. The Synod also claimed that according to multiple reports, there was a 'love jihad' targeting Christians, stating that over half of the 21 women who joined Islamic State hailed from the Christian community.

In this incident, the main allegation was that the girl was sexually assaulted multiple times and that the accused told her that only Islam allows a man to keep multiple wives and he would marry her if she converts. However, Syro Malabar church spokesperson Fr. Jimmy Poochakkatt said that they were not aware of the incident so far.