The case pertains to the death of Sona Eldhose, 23, who died by suicide in Kothamangalam on August 9. Her family has alleged that she was a victim of forced religious conversion as part of a ‘love jihad’ plot. In a petition submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on August 12, Sona’s family demanded that the probe be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), warning that the incident had serious national security implications. Sona’s mother, Bindu A K, had accused Ramees of attempting to coerce her daughter into converting to another religion, adding that the crime could be linked to extremist networks. “This is not just about my daughter. It is about protecting other young women from similar exploitation,” she had said, in the petition to the CM.

The family also pointed to Panayikkulam in Aluva, Ramees’ native place, which had come under the scanner in 2006 when police busted a secret meeting of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) there Kerala’s first terrorism case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, later probed by the NIA. The Ernakulam rural police have constituted a 10-member SIT led by the Muvattupuzha DySP to probe all angles, including abetment of suicide, rape under the pretext of marriage, and possible links to extremist outfits. “