By India Today News Desk: Saurabh alias Mohammed Saleem was among 16 people arrested from Bhopal and Hyderabad last week for their suspected links with Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), a radical outfit. The accused were apprehended by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for their alleged involvement in planning terror attacks.
According to Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra, the arrested accused are a motley group of individuals, including a professor and a gym trainer among others, who were prima facie involved in “love-jihad” and religious conversions.
Saurabh’s father, Ashok Raj Vaidya, talked to news agency ANI about his family and how he found Saurabh was lured to convert to Islam, and how he changed his name to Mohammed Saleem.
ASKED MY SON TO LEAVE HOUSE: MOHAMMED SALEEM’S FATHER
“In our family, we allow our children to choose their life partners from other faiths and do not call it ‘religious conversion,” Saurabh’s father Ashok Raj Vaidya said. Ashok Raj Vaidya is an ayurveda doctor.
Upon being asked about when he felt Saurabh was embracing Islam, Vaidya said, “I first observed Saurabh’s activities and arguments in 2011. He began distancing himself from our family functions and religious festivities. Sometime later, his wife also started wearing Islamic dresses. It was then that I tried explaining things to him.”
“I asked Saurabh to leave our house,” Vaidya said.
Further, Vaidya said he even reported the entire matter to the police. However, the police refused to take any action as they found Saurabh had converted to Islam willingly.
Saurabh’s father said one Dr Kamaal used to be around Saurabh during his college days.
“Later, we came to know Dr Kamaal was an agent of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and was arrested. He taught my son Islamic prayers,” he said.
“Saurabh used to watch speeches of Zakir Naik on his computer. I even recovered several Islamic books from his room. Watching Syrian news on TV, Saurabh used to talk about Islam and why they were attacking Syrians,” Vaidya said.
The terror suspect’s father said Saurabh also attended several Islamic events hosted by “big personalities”.
Vaidya had even written to the Congress-led Centre seeking a ban on the broadcast of Zakir Naik’s speeches.
Talking of his son’s arrest, Vaidya said he believed Saurabh was not involved in any terror-related activities. He, however, added that his family would not allow Saurabh back into their home if he did not quit Islam.
SAURABH’S MUSLIM FRIENDS NEVER LEFT HIM ALONE: MOTHER
Saurabh’s mother, Vasanti Jain, said her grandchildren had begun attending a madrasa.
Speaking to ANI, she further said that Saurabh’s Muslim friends never left him at peace and they were always milling around him.
“I never confronted them as I was scared for my son’s life,” Saurabh’s mother said.
She further revealed Saurabh had started staying with his Muslim friends in a flat during the Covid pandemic.
“He even invited me to stay along with him, which I refused,” she said.
Upon being asked about her son’s arrest, Vasanti Jain said she last spoke to Saurabh two days before his arrest.
“My daughter-in-law called me and said I shouldn’t worry as Saurabh had gone for a trip and so his phone was switched off, which raised suspicion in my mind. Two days later, I saw the news of his arrest,” the terror suspect’s mother said. “He may have been arrested but I am confident my son was never involved in any terror-related activities,” Vasanti Jain said.
Watch what Saurabh’s mother and father had to say about his conversion and arrest
