Over a lakh Love Jihad cases in Maharashtra: Minister Lodha

Defending the Shiv Sena-BJP government's decision to set up a panel to monitor inter-marriages, Lodha said his government is committed to ensure that there is no repeat of Shraddha Walkar-like cases in the State.

Maharashtra's Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has said that the State has witnessed over one lakh 'Love Jihad' cases so far. During his address in the Assembly, the Minister stated that the government has the responsibility to prevent Shraddha Walkar-like murder cases.

Walker was murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in Delhi in May this year. Poonawala strangled Shraddha to death and cut her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli in South Delhi, before dumping them here and there across the city over several days.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government in the State is now planning to introduce a "new women's policy" in the ongoing Budget session of the Legislative Assembly.

Panel to monitor inter-marriages

The State government has set up a committee to gather information about the inter-caste or inter-faith marriage couples and the maternal families of the women involved if they are estranged. The committee will monitor district-level initiatives for women involved in such marriages who may be estranged from their families, so that assistance can be provided if necessary.

The committee will be a platform for women and their families to avail counselling and resolve issues, a government resolution (GR) said, adding that the panel will have 13 members from government and non-government fields to study policies of the State and Central governments regarding welfare schemes and laws related to the matter.

The committee will hold regular meetings with district officials and collect information of registered and unregistered inter-faith and inter-caste marriages; on such marriages that took place in places of worship and marriages took place after elopement.

Defending the formation of the interfaith marriage committee, Lodha said the government is committed to ensure that there is no repeat of Shraddha Walkar type of cases in the State.

More steps for women's safety & welfare

Earlier, Minister Lodha had asked the State Women's Commission to set up a special squad to identify women who married without family support and are estranged from them. This decision was taken in view of the Shraddha Walkar murder case.

The State government will take note of all the suggestions put forth by the MLAs about the welfare, security and empowerment of women, Lodha said. It will also table its performance report on decisions related to women's empowerment regularly, he added. The new policy will be practical, he said, adding that a 'tourist policy for women' will also be announced soon.

A 'Janata Darbar' will be held for women at the district level every month where at least 50 complaints will be taken up, he said. A women's bazaar to promote products of self-help groups (SHGs) has also been proposed every month in all districts. Moreover, as much as 50 percent of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds should be allocated to women's causes, the minister added.

With inputs from PTI