Nagpur, June 18: Nagpur police have arrested a cleric in connection with the alleged forced conversion of a 24-year-old wife of an Indian Air Force officer. The accused has been identified as Hazrat Maulana. He was apprehended in Madhya Pradesh and brought to Nagpur for further questioning.
The woman has accused her former classmate and several associates of serious crimes, including rape, blackmail, forced conversion, and conducting rituals related to black magic.
This case gained significant attention this week after a video went viral on social media. The video reportedly shows a man holding the woman’s hand while reciting religious verses. Following the video’s release, public outrage surged, prompting the police to expedite their investigation.
According to media reports, the main accused, 26-year-old Ayaz Madare, and his accomplice, Ameen Sheikh, are already in police custody. Investigating agencies believe that the arrested cleric played a crucial role in the alleged conversion process and the subsequent marriage.
The FIR states that on February 8, 2025, Ayaz took the woman to a hotel, where he allegedly drugged her drink. After she lost consciousness, compromising photos and videos were taken. She claims these were used to blackmail her, leading to multiple instances of sexual assault, with threats to share the material with her husband and on social media. The woman also alleges that around four lakh rupees were extorted from her.
In her complaint, she mentioned that in the viral video, she was seen crying and pleading to be released while the accused recited religious verses. She was later told that her conversion had been completed, after which she faced further sexual assault attempts.
The complainant also accused Ayaz of regularly forcing her to drink a liquid from a plastic bottle. She claimed that after consuming it, he would recite mantras in Urdu, blow on her face, and refer to the process as hypnosis or black magic.
According to the FIR, on May 31, the accused took her to Kalmeshwar with his accomplice, where Hazrat Maulana allegedly made her say “Qabool Hai” against her will during a religious ceremony. The woman claims that after this, the cleric declared her conversion and arranged her marriage to Ayaz.
Police officials suggest that further interrogation of the cleric may reveal more critical information about the case.
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