Moradabad: A Dalit woman was forced to convert at gunpoint; Muslim couple arrested following complaint
In Moradabad, a Dalit woman was held hostage by a Muslim couple, a cleric, and two unidentified accused and forced to convert. It is being reported that the accused husband had been harboring an evil eye on her for a long time.
Police in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested a Muslim couple for allegedly forcibly converting a Dalit woman by holding her hostage. Acting swiftly on the victim’s complaint, the police filed a case against the main accused, a Muslim couple and a cleric, and arrested and sent them to jail. The cleric and two unidentified accused involved in the incident are being sought.
The accused forced the woman to convert at gunpoint.
The incident is reported to have occurred in the Majhola police station area. According to the FIR lodged, the victim, a resident of Prakash Nagar, had close and familial relations with the family of the accused, Sultan Salahuddin, and his wife, Mehnaz (Mehraj Begum), for the past three years. Both families celebrated all festivals together. The woman had no idea that Sultan Salahuddin had an evil eye on her. It is alleged that on February 6th, Mehraj Begum lured the victim to her home. As soon as she arrived, Sultan Salahuddin, his wife Mehnaz, a cleric, and two unidentified men took her hostage.
The accused then held their licensed pistols to her head and, threatening to kill her, forced her to convert to Islam in front of the cleric. The victim told the police that after the conversion, she was put under intense pressure to marry. When the woman strongly protested, the cleric present at the scene declared the forced marriage illegal, calling it against Islam and Sharia. The main accused, Sultan Salahuddin, refused to budge and shouted, “I will keep her as my wife.” Police filed a case against the accused couple and the cleric under 10 sections.
When she resisted, the accused used casteist slurs, abused her, and held her captive in their house for several days. The victim alleges that Sultan Salahuddin subjected her to obscene acts and molestation during her captivity. The victim, who somehow managed to escape, was threatened with death if she complained.
It is reported that the accused, Sultan Salahuddin, has a criminal history and has previously been charged with attempted murder in Badaun district. Given the sensitivity and seriousness of the case, Moradabad police took immediate action. Police have filed a case against the accused couple, Sultan Salahuddin, Mehnaz, the cleric, and two unidentified individuals under 10 serious sections, including kidnapping, molestation, threats to kill, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act (forced conversion), and the SC/ST Act.
Both main accused arrested, search continues for the cleric and two other unidentified individuals.
Providing information about the case, Moradabad SP City Kumar Ranvijay Singh said that yesterday (July 11), a complaint was received at Majhola police station from a woman living in Prakash Nagar. The victim alleges that an acquaintance, Sultan Salahuddin, and his wife invited her to their home, where she was abused, molested, illegally held captive, and forced to convert to Islam. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the police have immediately registered a case under relevant sections.
The two main accused, Sultan Salahuddin and his wife Mehnaz, have been arrested and are being sent to jail. Teams have been formed to arrest the cleric and two other unidentified individuals involved in the incident; they will also be sent behind bars soon.
Written By: Obaidur Rahman
About the author
Ubaidur Rahman is a senior and active TV journalist and ground reporter for ABP News. For the past 20 years, he has been covering political, criminal, wildlife, social, cultural, and investigative news in the Moradabad division of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Prior to ABP News, he worked at several prominent organizations. After a Bachelor of Science, he earned a Diploma in TV Journalism and Broadcasting and an Adeeb-e-Kamil from Jamia Urdu University, Aligarh.
Courtesy: Hindi News
