Gujarat man attempts suicide after accusing 5 people of 'brainwashing' his wife and children to convert

Palanpur, August 29

A man from Gujarat’s Banaskantha district allegedly tried to commit suicide after being depressed over his wife and two children converting to Islam and living separately from him, police said on Monday.

The police have registered a case against one Sohel Sheikh and four of his family members on charges of abetment to suicide for allegedly “brainwashing” Haresh Solanki’s wife and children to convert to Islam, they said.

Two of the accused were arrested on Monday, an official from Palanpur (east) police station said.

Solanki, hailing from Malgadh village in Deesa taluka of Banaskantha, allegedly consumed poison to end his life. He is currently under treatment at a private hospital in Palanpur town and his condition is reported to be critical, police said.

According to the FIR lodged at Palanpur (east) police station on Sunday evening, Solanki, in a note recovered from his possession, said the members of Sheikh’s family were responsible for his mental state which compelled him to take the extreme step.

Solanki’s brother Rajesh had filed a police complaint, alleging that the accused people “brainwashed” Solanki’s family to convert to Islam.

They even made Solanki’s wife and children give a statement on a habeas corpus plea in the Gujarat High Court that they had done so of their own volition and wanted to live separately.

Solanki’s daughter initially came in contact with one Aijaz Sheikh in her college. When her family objected to their friendship, she insisted on living with him. Later, her mother and brother also supported her and the three of them went on to offer ‘namaz’ at home, according to the complaint.

When some members of Solanki’s joint family objected, his wife, daughter and son left the house and started living separately with support from the Sheikh family.

However, they later became untraceable. When Solanki confronted the Sheikh family and sought to know the whereabouts of his wife and children, they demanded Rs 25 lakh to reunite him with them, the complaint alleged.

They allegedly said Solanki would be able to meet and live with his family if he also converted to Islam, said the complaint.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against five members of the Sheikh family under Sections 306, 384 and 506 of the IPC, the police official said, adding that two accused had been arrested.