Cops arrest accused of rape, forced religious conversion

Varanasi: Sigra police on Friday arrested a youth accused of allegedly administering narcotics, forcibly converting a girl’s religion, and committing rape. The girl narrated the incident to her family, following which the family filed a written complaint.

According to reports, Sigra police station arrested a Muslim youth named Mohammad Rustam, a resident of Gadaiya Gosiana area under Cantt police station jurisdiction. He allegedly lured a Hindu girl, forced her to convert her religion, took her to Ambedkar Nagar, and raped her. After returning to Varanasi, the girl narrated the entire ordeal to her family, following which Sigra police registered a case based on the family’s written complaint and arrested the accused.

Sigra police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar Mishra said that the girl’s family had filed a missing person report on Apr 21. The police found her on Apr 22 and handed her over to the family. The family subsequently withdrew the missing person application. After returning home, the girl narrated her ordeal to her family, following which the family filed another complaint with police on Apr 23.

The girl stated that she had gone to school and her brother dropped her off before returning home, after which the accused came to the school and took her away on the pretext of going out. She said that he lured her to Ambedkar Nagar, administered narcotics to her under the pretext of giving her water at a mazar, and began pressuring her to convert her religion against her will.

She said that the accused changed her name to Aafreen Bano and also got a fake Aadhaar card made in that name. He then took her to a hotel room and forcibly established physical relations with her, after which she lost consciousness. The accused subsequently got fake documents prepared and attempted a court marriage at Ambedkar Nagar court. After she raised an alarm, an advocate grew suspicious, and the accused fled from the spot during questioning.

Police stated that the girl’s family submitted a written complaint at Sigra police station, following which a case was registered under sections 64(1) (rape), 87 (kidnapping), 123 (act of administering or causing to be taken any harmful substance) of BNS and 3/5(1) UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act 2021.
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