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Two persons have been arrested after a 24-year-old married woman approached the Sonegaon Police in Maharashtra's Nagpur alleging rape, blackmail, extortion and forced religious conversion, police said.
According to police, the woman accused a former school acquaintance and his associates. The police are now looking to arrest a third suspect, who remains at large. The arrested accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare and Ameen Shaikh. Police have launched a search operation to trace Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, who has also been named in the First Information Report (FIR). Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone 1 Rushikesh Reddy said, "A 24-year-old woman lodged a complaint at Sonegaon Police Station alleging rape, blackmail, extortion and forced religious conversion. Based on her complaint, an offence has been registered, and two accused have been arrested. Further investigation is underway." According to police, the complainant alleged that Madare re-established contact with her under the pretext of helping her in a property-related matter. She claimed that during a meeting at a hotel in February 2025, she was allegedly administered an intoxicating substance, following which compromising photographs and videos were recorded without her consent. The woman further alleged that the accused subsequently used the photographs and videos to threaten and blackmail her. According to the complaint, she was threatened that the material would be circulated publicly and shown to her husband, who is currently posted outside Nagpur with the armed forces. Police said the complainant has alleged that nearly Rs 4 lakh was extorted from her over a period of time. She also claimed that she was repeatedly subjected to rituals involving the consumption of an unidentified liquid and other practices purportedly linked to occult activities before being sexually assaulted. "Considering the allegations made by the complainant, relevant sections about sexual assault, criminal intimidation, extortion and provisions under Maharashtra's anti-superstition and anti-black magic law have been invoked," Reddy said. As per the FIR, the woman alleged that on May 31, she was taken to Kalmeshwar, where a religious conversion ceremony was allegedly conducted against her will. She claimed that she was forced to participate in the ritual and was subsequently declared converted and married to the main accused without her consent. "After informing her husband about the alleged incidents, the woman approached the police and lodged a formal complaint", said Reddy. Police said efforts are underway to apprehend the absconding accused, and further investigation into the matter is continuing. (ANI)
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