Young Woman Murdered on Yercaud Hill Road – The Love Jihad Connection and Investigation Details
The issue of ‘Love Jihad’ has once again come into the spotlight in India. It is perceived as a strategic effort where Muslim men allegedly marry women from other religions under the guise of love, ultimately forcing them to convert to Islam. With such incidents continuously surfacing in various parts of the country, this has become a heated political and social debate.
A Tragic Love Story Turns Fatal
Recently, a horrific murder in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district has intensified discussions surrounding ‘Love Jihad.’ The crime occurred on the Yercaud hill road, where a 31-year-old woman named Lokanayaki (Alfiya) was brutally murdered. She was a postgraduate student from Thuraiyur, Tiruchirapalli, and had been residing in a private hostel in Salem, preparing for teacher eligibility exams.
Her alleged lover, Abdul Hafees, a 22-year-old final-year engineering student from Perambalur district, came into contact with her through Instagram. Their initial acquaintance developed into a romantic relationship over time.
Under Hafees’s influence, Lokanayaki converted to Islam and changed her name to Alfiya. Trusting him completely, she was unaware of the sinister plot brewing in the background.
Multiple Lovers – One Murdered Woman
Even as he was involved with Lokanayaki, Abdul Hafees had also formed a relationship with another woman—22-year-old Kaviya Sultana, an IT professional in Chennai.
When Lokanayaki discovered this, she confronted Hafees. Fearing that he might leave her, she pressured him into marriage. However, Hafees refused and, in turn, was threatened by Lokanayaki. She allegedly warned him that if he married another woman, she would not spare him or his family.
Feeling trapped, Hafees devised a sinister plan with Kaviya Sultana to eliminate Lokanayaki. Additionally, he involved his first lover, Monisha, a 22-year-old nursing student at Villupuram Government Medical College.
The Murder Plot
Hafees convinced Monisha that Lokanayaki had previously murdered a relative of hers, fabricating a revenge motive. Under this false pretense, Monisha agreed to assist in the crime.
On March 1, 2024, the three conspirators—Hafees, Kaviya Sultana, and Monisha—traveled to Salem. Hafees rented a car and invited Lokanayaki on a trip to Yercaud, introducing Kaviya and Monisha as his friends.
Upon reaching an isolated spot on the hill road, they ambushed Lokanayaki. Monisha, being a medical student, injected her with a lethal dose of poison. As the poison took effect, Lokanayaki collapsed. The trio then threw her body into a 20-foot ravine and fled the scene in their rented vehicle.
How the Murder Was Exposed
When Lokanayaki went missing, her hostel warden reported it to the police. During the investigation, her last phone location was traced to Yercaud hill road, and multiple calls from a Tiruchirapalli-based man were detected. When the police detained this individual for questioning, the murder was revealed.
The police recovered Lokanayaki’s decomposed body from the 20-foot ravine. A post-mortem confirmed the presence of poison. Following this discovery, Hafees, Kaviya Sultana, and Monisha were arrested and are currently being interrogated.
Unraveling the Love Jihad Network
Further investigation into Hafees’s social media activities has revealed a pattern of romantic engagements with multiple women, many of whom were allegedly persuaded to convert to Islam. Law enforcement authorities are now compiling a list of women associated with him and conducting a discreet inquiry.
To prevent such incidents, greater awareness must be created in society about deceptive love traps. Cases of coercion under the pretext of love must be exposed immediately, and judicial systems should ensure swift and strict action against the perpetrators.
