UP man held for raping minor girl, trying to convert her to Islam

KANPUR: A 14-year-old girl accused a 20-year-old Muslim man of kidnapping and raping her for two months and also trying to forcibly convert her to Islam. The girl alleged that the accused forced her to consume non-vegetarian food and offer 'namaz'.

Police said that the accused befriended the girl on Instagram and later lured her to leave her house and stay with him.

Acting on the complaint of the girl's father, the police have registered a case under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), and relevant sections of the POCSO Act, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The accused, Danish of Maikupurwa in Cantonment area, has been arrested.

The girl informed the police that she became friends with Danish through social media a few months ago. On October 22, Danish lured her to escape from her house.

"To impress me, he used to send pictures of bungalows and cars claiming that it belonged to him. However, when I reached his home I found it was an old, dilapidated house," she said. She alleged that after a few days, Danish started raping her and started forcing her to consume non-vegetarian food and offer 'namaz'. When she protested, Danish and her family members thrashed her. "Recently, Danish invited a cleric to his house and fixed December 30 as the date of their 'nikah'," she said, alleging that she was taken to a mosque and her name was changed to Muskan Khan.

On Friday, some members of a Hindu outfit came to know about the incident and reached Danish's house from where they rescued the girl. Danish and family managed to escape, police said.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), Lakhan Singh, said that the accused was arrested later and further investigations in this connection were underway.