Nagpur: Two men have been arrested after a 24-year-old married woman in Maharashtra’s Nagpur accused them of rape, blackmail, extortion and forced religious conversion, police said on Monday. A third accused, identified as a religious preacher from Madhya Pradesh, remains at large.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare and Ameen Shaikh. Police teams are searching for Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, who has also been named in the FIR.
According to the complaint, the woman alleged that Madare, an acquaintance from her school days, reconnected with her under the pretext of helping resolve a property dispute. She claimed that during a meeting at a hotel in February 2025, she was allegedly given an intoxicating substance, following which objectionable photographs and videos were recorded without her consent.
The complainant alleged that the accused later used the material to blackmail her, threatening to make the videos public and send them to her husband, who is currently posted outside Nagpur with the Indian Air Force.
Police said the woman has alleged that nearly ₹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 a case has been registered at Sonegaon Police Station under provisions related to sexual assault, criminal intimidation and extortion. Sections of Maharashtra’s anti-superstition and anti-black magic law have also been invoked.
The woman further 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.
A video that has circulated on social media allegedly shows the woman pleading during the conversion process. Police have not yet commented on the authenticity of the footage.
Investigators said digital evidence recovered from mobile phones is being examined as part of the probe. Officials added that further arrests may be made as the investigation progresses.
