Guwahati Police PSO Held for Alleged 'Love Jihad' and Deceit

A stern case of suspected identity fraud and deceit has come out of the very heart of Guwahati, revealing how trust in uniform can be arbitrarily abused. A young Hindu woman from Chhaygaon, living in the city's Chandmari area, has allegedly been enticed and eloped by a serving police jawan—Abdul Basid—posted as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) to the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Geetanagar Police Station.

The woman's family, concerned about her unexplained absence, had registered a missing person's case at Chandmari Police Station. But what the police initially thought was a matter of elopement soon turned out to be much more sinister.

As per the plaint and follow-up probe, the accused — Abdul Basid — is said to have misrepresented himself as a Hindu male to gain the woman's trust. Adopting a fictitious Hindu identity along with various aliases, he is said to have had a long-term courtship affair with her while hiding essential details about his actual identity, religion, and marital status.

Sources confirmed that Basid is a married man with a daughter — facts he kept intentionally concealed from the victim. The woman, who was living as a tenant in Chandmari, had no idea of his real background and thought she was in a true relationship. Basid is said to have exploited such belief to finally elope with her.

As outrage mounted, Geetanagar Police in coordination with Chandmari Police apprehended Abdul Basid on Monday.

The case has raised widespread alarm, not just because of the interfaith dimension and charges of 'Love Jihad'—a term commonly applied in cases of religious fraud in romance—but also because the accused was dressed in the uniform of the law when allegedly committing the offence.

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