In a shocking incident, a man was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad for allegedly concealing his religious identity and putting pressure on a woman to convert for marriage after being in relationship with her for four years, police said.
The accused was arrested after the woman, filed a complaint alleging fraud, sexual exploitation and coercion at the Mudha Pandey police station, PTI reported.
In her police complaint, the woman, a native of Azamgarh district, alleged that the accused, identified as Fazil Ansari, introduced himself to her as “Sahil”. The two of them used to work at a factory in Himachal Pradesh.
She further claimed that Ansari concealed his religious identity by wearing a sacred thread and even accompanied her to temples and gurdwaras. He even used to participate in religious rituals, she added.
The complainant said that Ansari maintained a relationship with her for about four years while hiding his identity. During this period, he is said to have sexually exploited her.
To prove her claims, the woman said she has submitted photographs purportedly showing Ansari visiting temples and gurdwaras, along with documents related to money transfers made from her account.
SP Kunwar Ranvijay Singh informed that Ansari was taken into custody on Friday and sent to jail after the completion of legal formalities.
“The accused’s three named relatives his parents and brother are absconding, and efforts are on to trace them,” PTI quoted the senior police official as saying.
As per the woman’s complaint, when she put pressure on Ansari to marry him, he allegedly refused to do so and fled to his home in Moradabad. She further claimed that Ansari took away ₹12 lakh, a mobile phone and a gold chain belonging to her.
The woman was left stunned when she reached Moradabad in search of Ansari. This is when she found out that “Sahil” was actually “Fazil Ansari”.
She has alleged that Ansari’s family told her that she can only marry him if she converted her religion. When she refused to do so, she claimed that she was assaulted and later managed to reach the police station after getting help of local villagers.
Meanwhile, she claimed that both parties had earlier reached an agreement at a police outpost under which they were supposed to travel to Himachal Pradesh for a could marriage. Under the agreement, it was stated that legal action could be initiated against whichever party backed out of the arrangement, PTI reported.
To pursue her case, the woman is said to have been staying in Moradabad for the past year. She claimed that the Ansari’s family was repeatedly putting pressure on her to convert and offer namaz.
The woman has now appealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take note of the matter and ensure strict punishment for the accused as well as his family.
Further investigation in the matter is currently underway.