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Kidnapping and forced marriage case of Hindu woman Rita in Pakistan: Daughter returned to parents on court orders, got big relief
Samira Vishwas | September 2, 2026 7:24 AM CST


Cases of atrocities, kidnappings and forced conversions against religious minorities, especially girls and women of the Hindu community, in the neighboring country Pakistan have become a matter of concern in international human rights forums. One such shocking and sensational incident to the violation of minority rights and the demand for justice has come to light from Sindh province of Pakistan, where a 21-year-old young Hindu woman has finally got freedom from the quagmire of kidnapping and forced marriage after a legal struggle. In a significant and relief decision, a Pakistani court on Tuesday allowed 21-year-old Hindu woman Rita to return home safely with her parents and brother. This case has once again raised serious questions on the security system and religious freedom of minorities in Pakistan. The entire conspiracy to kidnap from Sindh province and take them to Punjab: According to the detailed report received from news agency PTI, this entire matter is to Rana Rajput Colony of Khipro tehsil under Sanghar area of ​​Sindh district of Pakistan. 21-year-old Rita, who lives here, suddenly went missing from her house under suspicious circumstances last week. The sudden disappearance of the daughter created chaos in the family. Rita's brother Ravi Shankar immediately lodged a formal complaint at the local police station. According to the complaint and documents given by the family, when they checked the CCTV footage of their area, the ground slipped beneath their feet. It was clearly visible in the footage that some unknown and suspicious people were forcibly abducting Rita from her house on August 24. Not only this, the kidnappers had also taken away the valuable cash, jewelery and his mobile phone kept in the house, which proves that this incident was carried out in a very well-planned manner. According to the family's complaint, the kidnappers took Rita out of Sindh province and took her directly to Gujranwala city of Punjab province, which is located at a distance of about 80 kilometers from Lahore. After being taken there, this innocent Hindu girl was allegedly subjected to immense mental and physical pressure. She was forced to convert to Islam and was forced to marry a man named Nazir Hussain, who was already married. In such cases in Pakistan, criminals often get the protection of local influential people and fundamentalist elements, due to which the victims' families are forced to run from pillar to post to get justice. In this case also, when Rita's family came to know about her location, they started all possible legal and social efforts to save their daughter. Role of Police and Insistence of sending 'Darul Aman' After the case gained momentum and pressure from social media and human rights organizations, Punjab Police came into action and finally recovered Rita. After this, the police presented him in the court of a judicial magistrate on Monday. The surprising thing was that the police and government machinery demanded in the court that Rita should be sent to the government protected shelter home 'Darul Aman'. Police and concerned officials claimed that the girl did not want to return to her parents and wanted to stay there on her own free will. Due to this stance of the police, the suspicion had once again started to deepen that the administrative machinery might be conspiring to keep the victim girl away from her family under some pressure. Strong opposition from lawyers and Rita's bold statement in the court However, the lawyers appearing in the court on behalf of the victim's family—Asad Jamal and Kheta Ram—strongly opposed this demand of the police and administration. He told the court in clear words that the police claims were completely baseless and in fact Rita wanted to return safely to her parents' home along with her brother, who was himself present in the court premises. After listening to the arguments of the lawyers, the magistrate, understanding the seriousness of the case, called Rita himself and directed her to take oath and record her original statement. The court official informed that in her statement given before the magistrate, Rita said with complete fearlessness and clarity that she has not done any voluntary religious conversion or marriage, but she wants to go back to her parents' house on her own free will and in her full senses. Historic decision of the court and handing over to the family: After this statement of Rita came to light, the truth became completely clear in front of the court. After this, the Honorable Magistrate gave the verdict without any delay and gave complete freedom to Rita and allowed her to go home with her brother. The court also directed in its order that the local administration and police should ensure that Rita and her family do not face any kind of threat, and they should be transported to their ancestral home in Sindh with complete safety and security. After this decision of the court, the victim's family heaved a sigh of relief and expressed satisfaction at getting justice. Situation of minorities in Pakistan and call for human rights This incident once again highlights the bitter truth of how unsafe is the situation of young women from Hindu, Christian and other minority communities in Pakistan. In cases of forced kidnapping, religious conversion and forced marriage at an early age, the attitude of the police and local administration is often lax. Human rights activists believe that unless the government of Pakistan and the judiciary ensure quick punishment by making the strictest laws against the criminals in such cases, the lives of the minority daughters there cannot be safe. However, due to the sensitivity of the court in Rita's case and her own bold statement, she has been freed from a hell-like situation, but thousands of other such cases are still dying in the dark in the hope of justice.


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