Man In Interfaith Marriage Shot By Wife's Brother, Barely Escapes Death

Sheetal Chauhan married Nargis Parveen three years ago. It was a love marriage, solemnised against the wishes of her family. As both were above 18 years of age, the local court allowed them to live together.

The couple have a daughter. Two days ago, Nargis’s brother Shahbez Ansari shot at Sheetal, who has barely escaped death. Sheetal continues to be in the hospital.

The incident took place in village Khairabad of Haldaur area in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. 

Bijnor Superitendent of Police Neeraj Singh Jadaun told Swarajya that during questioning, Shahbez confessed to the police that his motive was revenge as he was enraged at his sister marrying into the Hindu community.

Shahbez never approved of his sister’s marriage and held a grudge against Sheetal, who he often saw in the market, the officer said.

Shahbez hatched a plan to kill Sheetal and procured a 315 bore pistol. The police have recovered 3 live and one used cartridge from him.

On 2 April, Shahbez shot at Sheetal when the latter arrived in the market to sit at his shop of readymade garments. Shahbez was accompanied by his brothers Parvez and Suhaib, both of whom are employed as software engineers.

A first information report (FIR) in the attempted murder was filed on the complaint of Sheetal’s elder brother Manvendra on 2 April at Haldaur police station (FIR number 131/2023).

The statement says that Shahbez, Parvez and Suhaib arrived at the shop around 1.30pm and started hurling abuses at Sheetal. They said, “Tune Hindu hokar hamari behen Nargis se love marriage ki hai. Aaj hum tujhe jaan se maar denge [you have had a love marriage with our sister despite being a Hindu, we will kill you today].”

One of the bullets hit Sheetal on his chin. The attackers fled when people in the market gathered at the spot, the statement concludes. The police booked Shahbez, Parvez and Suhaib under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (insult), 506 (grievous insult) and 34 (crime committed with common intention).

The next day, another FIR was filed in the case on the statement of Sheetal’s wife Nargis Parveen (FIR 131/2023).

The statement says that after shooting at Sheetal, Shahbez arrived at her doorstep on a motorcycle in the night around 10pm, threatening her and her child with murder if she testified against him in front of the police. The statement further says that the family needs police protection.

Based on this statement, Shahbez was gain booked under IPC sections 504 and 506. 

Bijnor police, in a press note yesterday, said they have arrested key accused Shahbez. A third FIR (number 134/2023) has been filed against Shahbez under the Arms Act.

The press note says that the accused told the police that his family held a grudge against Sheetal for marrying their sister. 

The case follows a familiar pattern seen in interfaith relationships, where several men have been fatally attacked or killed by the family of their Muslim partners for their Hindu identity.

Such victims, in national capital city New Delhi alone, include Ankit Saxena, Dablu Singh, Rahul Rajput and Sanjay Kumar. In addition, there have also been several cases where men in such relationships have been forced to convert to the religion of their Muslim partners. 

Only two days ago, Swarajya published a ground report where a woman named Muskan Abbasi was arrested for forcing her husband Ajay Thakur of converting to her religion, and desecrating the temple in his house after his refusal.