On May 30, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a married Muslim man identified as Abid Hawari from Azamgarh under the anti-conversion law. Abid, who pretended to be an officer named Aditya Singh in the crime branch of UP Police, is accused of deceiving Hindu women while concealing his religious identity and lying about his occupation. As per reports, he has seven children (some reports say five) from his first marriage to a Muslim woman who lives in Azamgarh. He was arrested from his house in Sushant Golf City.
Sunil Kumar, ACP Ghazipur said, “A woman lodged a complaint stating that a man named Abid befriended her impersonating as Aditya Singh. Later, he got the woman converted to Islam & married her by threatening to leak their intimate videos online.”
Later, she came to know that Abid was already married & had 7 children. He again married a Hindu woman by Hindu rituals in February this year. An FIR has been lodged against him under IPC & Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act: ACP, Ghazipur, Lucknow (2/2) (30.05) pic.twitter.com/bXNzHTiBB3
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 31, 2021
Abid booked under UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act
The complainant filed an FIR at Indiranagar Police Station. In her complaint, she said that Abid Hawari sexually exploited her. She also claimed that he extorted Rs.16 lakh from her. Abid has been booked by the Police under several sections including Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021, rape, extortion, criminal intimidation, remarrying during the lifetime of wife and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
The complainant met Abid in 2015 when he was looking for a house for rent. He introduced himself as Inspector Aditya Singh from the Crime Branch of UP Police. He said he was a widower and had a child from her first marriage. Abid used his emotional story to deceive and cheat the woman, as per the complaint.
Abid used photos in compromising position to marry her
As per the victim’s complaint, Abid had forced her to get married to him by blackmailing her with some photographs taken in an intimate position. They got married in May 2016. Abid had been running his ‘office’ from his flat. They found several weapons and forged police documents at his house. He had used these documents to make the complainant believe that he was indeed a police officer.
Notably, she only saw him in uniform in photographs and not in real life. Abid used to tell her that officers posted at the crime branch do not wear a uniform. He told her his posting was at Barabanki Crime Branch, Haidergarh, Sultanpur. She informed the police that he had contested panchayat elections from village Bakhra.
Later, the victim came to know that he married another woman (his third marriage) in Arjunganj this year in a lavish ceremony. The victim has said, “When I went to Abid’s house in Azamgarh, I came to know that he was already married to a Muslim woman who is alive and has seven children.” On learning about other marriages, she decided to cut all ties with him. However, Abid has allegedly been harassing her.
Abid ran extortion rackets
Prachi Singh, ADCP, North Zone said that while posing as a police officer, the accused not only exploited women but also ran extortion rackets. She added, “We have arrested him and will question him to find the details of his criminal past.”
