Nagpur: A disturbing case involving allegations of rape, blackmail, extortion, and attempted religious conversion has come to light in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district, prompting police action against multiple accused. Two men have been arrested in connection with the case, while a cleric named in the complaint remains absconding. The incident has also drawn public attention after a video allegedly related to the case surfaced on social media and went viral.
According to police officials, the arrested accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare (26) and Amin Sheikh (30), both residents of Kalmeswar in Nagpur district. The third accused, identified as Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Tamia in Madhya Pradesh, is currently on the run, and police teams have been deployed to trace and apprehend him.
The complainant, a 24-year-old married woman, is engaged in the business of buying and selling property. Her husband serves in the Indian Air Force and is posted outside the city. In her complaint, the woman alleged that she came into contact with Ayyaz, who was her former classmate, in February 2025. He reportedly approached her under the pretext of purchasing a plot of land.
The woman claimed that Ayyaz later took her to a hotel on Wardha Road, where she was allegedly given a drink mixed with an intoxicating substance. She alleged that after losing consciousness, she was raped and a video of the act was secretly recorded. According to the complaint, the accused subsequently used the video and photographs to threaten her and repeatedly blackmail her.
Police said the woman has alleged that she was subjected to continued intimidation and that the accused extorted approximately ₹3.9 lakh from her. She further claimed that she remained silent for several months due to fear and pressure.
The case took another turn when the woman alleged that on May 31, she was taken to the Kalmeswar area, where she met Amin Sheikh and Hazrat Maulana. According to her statement, the three accused took her to a secluded location and conducted certain religious rituals. She alleged that they later claimed she had been converted to Islam. A video that has since circulated widely on social media reportedly shows religious recitations being performed in her presence.
The woman also alleged that after the ritual, the accused attempted to sexually assault her again. She stated that she continued to live under fear until her husband returned home, after which she narrated the entire incident to him. The couple subsequently approached the police and filed a formal complaint.
Following the complaint, police registered a case under various provisions related to rape, extortion, attempted religious conversion, and the Maharashtra Prevention of Superstition and Black Magic Act. After an initial investigation, Ayyaz Taj Madare and Amin Sheikh were arrested and produced before a court, which remanded them to five days of police custody.
Police officials said the investigation is ongoing and that further legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected. Authorities are continuing their search for the absconding cleric and are examining all available material, including the viral video, as part of the probe.
