Cleric arrested in IAF official wife's 'forced conversion' case
What's the story
The Nagpur police have arrested a cleric, Hazrat Maulana, wanted in the alleged forced conversion of a 24-year-old woman. The arrest was made from Madhya Pradesh. The case involves allegations against an old classmate of the victim and his associates, who have been accused of rape, blackmail, black magic, and forced religious conversion. A viral video showing a Muslim man chanting verses over the Indian Air Force (IAF) official's wife had sparked widespread outrage earlier.
Ongoing investigation
Main accused and his associate already in police custody
The main accused, Ayyaz Madare (26), and his associate Ameen Shaikh are already in police custody. The arrested cleric is believed to have been involved in the alleged conversion and nikah (marriage contract). According to the FIR, on February 8, 2025, Madare allegedly spiked the woman's drink during a meeting at a hotel. He reportedly recorded objectionable photos and videos of her after she lost consciousness. When she awoke, he blackmailed her, threatening to send the videos to her husband.
Allegations detailed
Victim alleges she was sexually assaulted
The victim alleged that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and around ₹4 lakh was extorted from her. In the viral video, the woman is seen crying and pleading with Madare to let her go. She alleges she was declared "converted" after the incident. The FIR also states that Madare would bring a plastic bottle with liquid, force her to drink it, mutter in Urdu, blow on her face, claiming it was "hypnosis and black magic," before raping her.
Rituals performed
Madare performed religious rituals, says report
On May 31, Madare and Shaikh allegedly took the woman to Kalmeshwar. There, Maulana allegedly performed religious rituals and forced her to say "qubool hai" for conversion. The maulana declared that she had converted to Islam and her nikah with Madare was performed. Police expect more details to emerge during the cleric's interrogation.