Two persons have been arrested after a 24-year-old married woman lodged a complaint in Maharashtra’s Nagpur alleging rape, blackmail, extortion and forced religious conversion, police said on Monday.
A viral video shows her pleading during forced religious conversion to leave her.
The accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare and Ameen Shaikh. Police have launched a search for a third accused, Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, who has also been named in the FIR.
According to police, the complainant alleged that Madare, a former school acquaintance, re-established contact with her on the pretext of helping her resolve a property dispute. She claimed that during a meeting at a hotel in February 2025, she was allegedly administered an intoxicating substance, after which compromising photographs and videos were recorded without her consent.
The woman alleged that the accused subsequently used the material to blackmail and threaten her, including warning that the videos would be circulated publicly and shown to her husband, who is currently posted outside Nagpur with the Indian Air forcez.
Police said the complainant has alleged that nearly Rs 4 lakh was extorted from her over a period of time. She further claimed that she was repeatedly subjected to rituals involving the consumption of an unidentified liquid and other practices allegedly linked to occult activities before being sexually assaulted.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Rushikesh Reddy said an offence has been registered at Sonegaon Police Station under sections relating to sexual assault, criminal intimidation and extortion, besides provisions of Maharashtra’s anti-superstition and anti-black magic law.
The woman also alleged that on May 31 she was taken to Kalmeshwar, where a religious conversion ceremony was conducted against her will and she was declared converted and married to the main accused without her consent.
Police said the allegations are being investigated and digital evidence seized from mobile phones is being examined. Officials added that further arrests cannot be ruled out as the probe progresses.
ANI inputs
