A Muslim youth seen with a Hindu girl was abducted, stripped and thrashed by a group at Subramanya in Dakshina Kannada district, marking the latest attack by “anti-love jihad” vigilantes in coastal Karnataka.

The police have registered two cases, one of attempt-to-murder against the unidentified assailants and another against the Muslim youth under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act on the charge of sexually harassing the minor girl.

Afidh, 20, a diploma student, was allegedly seen talking to the 17-year-old girl, a college student, near the Subramanya bus stop around 5pm on Thursday.

A group of youths arrived in a jeep and allegedly abducted Afidh, took him to an abandoned building, stripped him naked and beat him with sticks.

The incident comes at a time Sangh parivar vigilantes have been accused of harassing Muslim men talking to or accompanying Hindu women in the name of fighting “love jihad” — an unsubstantiated allegation of a conspiracy by Muslims to court and marry Hindu women to convert and radicalise them.

State BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel had recently urged party workers to focus on “love jihad” and not “small issues” like roads and sewage, indicating the ruling party wanted to use the issue to polarise voters in the run-up to the summer Assembly polls.

According to Afidh’s police statement from hospital — where he is admitted with bruises — the dozen-odd attackers warned him against talking to Hindu girls before leaving with his wallet and mobile phone.

Based on a complaint from the girl’s father, the police have registered an FIR against Afidh under penal section 354B (assault or use of criminal force on a woman) and Section 12 of the Pocso act (sexual harassment of a child).

These are cognisable and non-bailable offences that can bring jail terms of up to three years. The girl’s father has accused Afidh of forcing his daughter into a relationship and “molesting” her.

The unknown assailants have been booked under penal sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 307 (attempt to murder), 365 (kidnapping), 143 (unlawful assembly), and 147 (rioting) read with 149 (rioting with common intent).

Afidh has told the police that some of the attackers wore T-shirts printed with “SSSPU”, which matches the abbreviated form of the name of a local college.

District superintendent of police Rishikesh Sonawanesaid that efforts were on toidentify and arrest the attackers.

“We are probing whether they belong to any organisation,” he said to reporters’ questions.

Hours before the attack on Afidh, Congress leader P.C.Siddaramaiah had told a party rally in neighbouring Udupi district that the region had become “a Hindutva laboratory to spread communal hatred”.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad recently launched a “helpline” in Dakshina Kannada to stop “love jihad”, with its district joint secretary Sharan Pumpwell saying the initiative would be extended across the state.

“We have two phone numbers and an email ID to be contacted if anyone has any suspicions about love jihad,” he said on Thursday.

Sangh parivar outfits have been pressing the BJP government to enact a law against, and set up a special task force to deal with, “love jihad”.