Thiruvananthapuram: The mother or Nimisha Fathima, one among the 20-odd persons missing under suspicious circumstances, has alleged that a youth hailing from the district was suspected to have forced her daughter to convert to Islam.

Bindu, the mother, who resides at Attukal here, told reporters that the youth hailing from Attingal was now trying to persuade her not to press for tracing Nimisha. “I came to know from a former classmate of Nimisha that the youth used to visit Nimisha in the college frequently and Nimisha was even subjected to abortion. The youth had forced Nimisha to convert to Islam by offering to marry her, but had ditched her,” said Bindu.

Bindu, who suspected that the youth might have trapped many other girls too, said that Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act should be invoked against him.

Bindu said that the youth had studied with Nimisha in a leading entrance coaching centre in the city. He later did his MBBS at JIPMER in Puducherry. “Nimisha had told me about the youth earlier. Her classmate at Century Dental College has said that the youth used to regularly visit Nimisha in the college earlier,” said Bindu. The youth is now pursuing his MD studies and was also about to get married, she said.