SC dismisses plea seeking SIT probe into alleged forceful conversion of Hindus in Haryana's Nuh

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking setting up of a special investigating team (SIT) to probe alleged forceful conversion of Hindus and crimes against women of the Hindu community in Nuh district of Haryana.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana refused to entertain the plea.

At the outset the Chief Justice said the plea can't be entertained as it is based on newspaper reports, however, senior advocate Vikas Singh appearing for petitioners said that petitioners are lawyers and they had visited the people in the area themselves.

The Bench, however, refused to entertain the plea and dismissed it.

The plea filed by a group of lawyers and social activists through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain claimed that the dominant members of the Muslim community in the Nuh district of Haryana have overpowered Hindus of the area, and sought the protection of the fundamental rights of Hindus.

Alleging that the life, personal liberty and religious rights of Hindus in the areas of Nuh are being continuously eroded by members of the minority community who are in a dominating position there, the plea sought the apex court's direction for constituting the SIT, consisting of members from the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), under the supervision of a retired top court judge.

The plea urged the top court that SIT should probe instances of forceful conversion of Hindus, illegal execution of sale deeds of their properties, atrocities committed against Hindu women and girls, encroachment made on public land, conditions of temples and religious places and also cremation grounds existing in the Nuh area.

The plea stated that the local police has failed to exercise the powers vested in them by law, due to which the life and liberty of every Hindu are in jeopardy.

It sought direction to the Centre to deploy paramilitary forces in Nuh district to protect the life and liberty of citizens.

The petition submitted that Muslims under the patronage of the Tablighi Jamaat have gradually increased their strength and now the position is that "Hindus Population is decreasing and it has come down from 20 per cent to 10-11 per cent since the last census 2011."

It stated that there are about 431 villages in Mewat-Nuh. 103 villages have become totally devoid of Hindus. In 82 villages only 4-5 Hindu families are left, adding, that "There is a significant decline of Hindu population in the district Mewat-Nuh giving rise to demographic changes which will be disastrous for the unity of the Nation."

The petition has said the authorities should be directed to rehabilitate Hindus at their respective properties and restore all temples, places of worship and cremation grounds in their original forms which have been encroached upon by any member of society.

The petitioner prayed to nullify all sale deeds executed by Hindus in favour of Muslims in the last 10 years under coercion and undue influence.

"A number of Hindus have been forcibly converted to Islam and a number of Hindu women and minor girls have been abducted and raped. The Hindu women are not safe at all. The Muslims at a large number have committed atrocities on members of Scheduled Caste," the plea added.

( With inputs from ANI )