Assam: Alima Akhtar embraces Hinduism, family issues threats, CM assures action

On 3rd September 2023, a video emerged on social media where Dr Alima Akhtar – a female doctor from the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh – described how her family members are threatening her with death for willfully converting to Hinduism. The woman also said that her family is trying to get her married to a much older Maulana, which she does not want. As the video went viral on the internet, Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed Assam’s Director General of Police to take proper action as per Law after a proper enquiry in this case.

Dr Alima Akhtar said in her video, “My name is Dr Alima Akhtar and I am making this video in the form of a statement. Actually, you can see I am at an airport. Moving around you can see security people are also there. Nothing happening around me. I am all well. But the problem is that my family have threatened me with death. Because I committed two mistakes. The first one is that I embraced the Hindu faith which is why many members of my family want to kill me. I am receiving death threats every day. To get rid of those death threats is my fundamental right.”

Take action as per Law after a proper enquiry @gpsinghips https://t.co/JTLLjW25jW

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 3, 2023

Dr. Alima Akhtar added, “And the second thing is that my family has lodged a false complaint of kidnapping against me and filed a case. They have done this so that the police catch me and hand me over to them after which they want to force me to marry a Maulana. They believe that if I marry some Maulana who is much older than me, then I will get Jannat in my afterlife and I will be saved from falling into Jahannum. I did not like this at all and therefore I am keeping myself much away from them.”

She further said, “I don’t want to go. Because I don’t want to get forcibly married to some Maulana. The case of kidnapping is false. You can see I am all well and roaming around. I am away from those people in order to live my life peacefully and study well. So, this is my only mistake for which my family members want to kill me.”

The woman requested the assistance of Assam Police, urging them to take notice of the situation and initiate appropriate measures in response to the matter.

After popular Assamese Twitter user @SouleFacts posted the video with a request to the DGP to take cognisance and do the needful as per law, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma noted this and ordered action. He expressed his support for the woman and directed Assam Police DGP GP Singh to take action while also calling for a thorough investigation into the incident.