Two individuals have been taken into custody following a complaint filed by a 24-year-old married woman in Maharashtra's Nagpur, who has accused them of rape, blackmail, extortion, and forced religious conversion, police confirmed on Monday.
Viral Video Sparks Outrage
A viral video circulating on social media captures the woman pleading to be released during the alleged forced conversion. The incident has drawn widespread attention and condemnation.
Details of the Complaint
The accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare and Ameen Shaikh. Authorities are also searching for a third suspect, Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, who has been named in the First Information Report (FIR).
According to police reports, the complainant stated that Madare, a former school acquaintance, reconnected with her under the pretense of assisting with a property dispute. She alleged that during a meeting at a hotel in February 2025, she was administered an intoxicating substance, after which compromising photographs and videos were taken without her consent.
Blackmail and Extortion
The woman claimed that the accused subsequently used the material to blackmail and threaten her, including warnings that the videos would be publicly circulated and shown to her husband, an Indian Air Force officer currently stationed outside Nagpur.
Police said the complainant alleged that approximately Rs 4 lakh was extorted from her over a period. She further stated that she was repeatedly subjected to rituals involving the consumption of an unidentified liquid and other practices linked to occult activities before being sexually assaulted.
Legal Action and Investigation
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Rushikesh Reddy stated that an offense has been registered at Sonegaon Police Station under sections related to sexual assault, criminal intimidation, and extortion, along with 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. She claimed she was declared converted and married to the main accused without her consent.
Police confirmed that the allegations are under investigation, and digital evidence from mobile phones is being examined. Officials added that further arrests cannot be ruled out as the probe progresses.
