A 24-year-old married woman has accused a former school acquaintance and two of his associates of rape, blackmail, forced religious conversion and practising black magic, leading to the arrest of two accused by Sonegaon Police.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare and Ameen Shaikh, while a third accused, Hazrat Maulana, is absconding. The case surfaced on Friday after the woman approached Sonegaon Police Station and lodged a detailed complaint.
According to police, the complainant’s husband is an armed forces personnel posted outside the city. The woman alleged that Madare reconnected with her under the pretext of purchasing property for a friend and gradually gained her trust.
As per the FIR, on February 8, 2025, Madare allegedly offered her a drink during a meeting at a hotel and mixed a sedative in it. After she lost consciousness, he allegedly clicked photographs and recorded videos of her in objectionable circumstances.
The woman alleged that Madare later used the images and videos to blackmail her, threatening to circulate them on social media and send them to her husband. Fearing the consequences, she allegedly paid him nearly Rs 4 lakh over a period of time.
She further alleged that Madare repeatedly subjected her to sexual assault. In her complaint, she claimed that he would make her consume a liquid brought in a plastic bottle, recite Urdu chants, blow on her face and then rape her, claiming the acts were linked to hypnosis and black magic.
The complainant also alleged that on May 31, Madare and Shaikh took her to Kalmeshwar, where Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Tamiya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, conducted rituals and compelled her to repeatedly say “Qabul Hai” as part of a religious conversion ceremony.
According to the FIR, the woman claimed she was forced to participate in the ritual against her will. She alleged that Maulana subsequently declared her converted to Islam and married to Madare. She further stated that she was compelled to consume meat and was later taken to a hotel, where Madare allegedly raped her again.
The woman also alleged that the accused continued to visit her residence and sexually assault her on multiple occasions.
Police said the complainant, who runs a property-related business, did not initially approach authorities due to fear and intimidation. She later informed her husband about the incidents and subsequently filed a complaint with Sonegaon Police.
Based on her statement, police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and also invoked provisions of the anti-black magic law.
Zonal DCP Rishikesh Reddy said the investigation is underway. “We are conducting forensic examination of electronic devices, verifying financial transactions and recording statements of witnesses. All allegations, including coercion, blackmail and digital evidence, are being thoroughly investigated,” he said.
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