Gonda man arrested for raping and converting Dalit woman to Islam

Gonda: Police here have arrested a man who allegedly raped a 25-year-old Dalit woman on the pretext of marriage and forced her to convert to Islam, an official said on Wednesday.

“The victim in her complaint accuses a certain Taj Mohammed of raping her on the pretext of marriage and forcibly converting her to Islam,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Rawat.

After allegedly raping her last year, the accused continued to threaten her with violence if she told anyone about the incident, the officer said. “A few days ago, he also hurled anti-caste slurs at her.”

Based on her complaint on Tuesday, the police filed a complaint against Taj Mohammed for rape (376 IPC) and under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Conversion Act.

“We have arrested the accused and launched an investigation into the matter,” the officer said.