Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Sep 11: It is said love transcends all boundaries and barriers. In the case of Wilson D'Souza, it was definitely true.
Wilson, now called Rakesh, converted to Hinduism from Christianity to marry his beloved Shobhini on Wednesday September 10 in the presence of members of Bajrang Dal as per Hindu rituals. Interestingly, it was the couple's second marriage.
The story started when Wilson alias Rakesh (21) and Shobhini (18) used to meet at each other's relatives' houses in Pumpwell and fell in love, and then got married on May 30 this year without the consent of the parents. Though the marriage took place in accordance with the Christian law, the girl did not convert, nor was she was asked to by the boy. She was staying in his house at Bajal after marriage.
The girl's father, Niranjan, reportedly tried to pursuade his daughter to leave Wilson and return home, and despite several visits by him to the boy's house for this purpose, she refused to budge, it is learnt. Finally, last week, seeing no other way to get back his daughter, Niranjan filed a kidnap case against Wilson. The police visited Wilson's house with a warrant and the couple appeared in the court.
The parents of the girl who were in the court premises tried to coax her to end the relationship with Wilson and return home, but Shobhini refused to do so. She asserted that she married Wilson as she loves him and wants to continue staying with him as his wife.
The court asked the girl to return to her husband's house for the present and ordered the couple to appear in court again the next day. The court held their marriage as legal.
Speaking to reporters, Wilson said that he has no problem with Shobhini being from a different religion, and would not ask her to convert.
Meanwhile, activists of Bajrang Dal who too had arrived at the court premises allegedly warned the girl and the boy against conversion to Christianity, and urged the boy to convert to Hinduism. It is said that Wilson then approached a Bajrang Dal leader and asked his help in marrying Shobhini. Wilson was then taken to Arya Samaj and renamed Rakesh, and married off to Shobhini as per Hindu rituals. The marriage was solemnized by a Hindu priest, in the presence of the groom's mother and the girl's friends.