SANGHAR: A local court in Shahdadpur on Friday ruled on the custody of four Hindu siblings who recently converted to Islam, amid allegations of abduction and forced conversion. The court allowed two of them to stay in a shelter home while ordering the return of the two younger minors to their families.
Additional and Sessions Judge Aijaz Ali Chandio presided over the case involving three sisters and their male cousin — identified as Jiya Bai, Diya Bai, Disha Bai, and Harjeet Kumar. The case was filed after the children’s parents alleged they had been kidnapped from Shahdadpur and forcibly converted in Karachi.
Police later recovered the four individuals and presented them in court, along with their parents and Rajesh Kumar Hardasani, head of the local Hindu Panchayat.
During the proceedings, all four individuals testified under oath that they had embraced Islam of their own free will in 2024, denying any coercion or pressure in the process.
Following their statements, the court ruled that Jiya Bai and Diya Bai — both medical students — could remain at a shelter home in Karachi. However, due to their minor status, 15-year-old matric student Disha Bai and her 13-year-old cousin Harjeet Kumar were returned to their parents.
The court also dismissed kidnapping charges against two men, Zulfiqar Khaskheli and Farhan, citing a lack of evidence and the voluntary statements of the four individuals.
In a related development, Nefertari Moonn, a U.S.-based internet comic artist and independent fashion designer, recently embraced Islam. She cited the resilience of Palestinians and their commitment to Al-Quds during the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza as her inspiration for converting.
