Girl Allegedly Raped, Forced To Convert; Cleric Among 3 Held In MP's Sehore

Sehore (Madhya Pradesh): Three men, including two brothers and a mosque’s Hafiz (cleric) were arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old college student in Barkheda Hasan village and forcing her to convert to Islam, said police on Thursday.

A case under relevant sections of law, including the POCSO Act, has been registered against the accused, as per the Ahmedpur police.

According to the complaint, the incident took place in 2024. Zubair Mansuri alias Rafiq Mansuri befriended the girl and later coerced her into visiting his house by threatening to reveal their relationship.

There, he allegedly raped her and began pressurising her to convert to Islam and adopt its religious practices, including wearing a burqa.

The victim’s further alleged that Zubair’s brother Shoaib caught them in a compromising position and subsequently blackmailed her with threats of leaking videos. He too allegedly sexually assaulted her. When she informed Zubair about Shoaib’s actions, he dismissed her concerns, reportedly saying, “This is normal in our religion.”

The girl also claimed that in 2024, Zubair took her to his house where Hafiz Arif, a cleric from the local mosque, was present. The Hafiz allegedly told her to stop worshipping in temples and instead recite the Kalma. He reportedly renamed her Zainab Qureshi and promised her marriage with Zubair on adopting Islamic customs.

Distressed and traumatized, the victim informed her family and subsequently lodged an FIR with the Ahmedpur police. Acting promptly, the police arrested Zubair, Shoaib and Hafiz Arif.

Sehore SDOP Pooja Sharma confirmed the arrests, saying that a case had been registered against the accused under the POCSO Act and other relevant sections of law. Further investigation is underway.