On Wednesday (May 11), a 21-year-old man named Iman Hameef was arrested for forcibly trying to convert a Dalit Hindu woman to Islam and posting her intimate pictures on social media.
As per reports, the accused befriended the victim on Instagram and started living with her. He took control of the girl’s smartphone and posted her intimate pictures on her Instagram handles.
Iman had also sent compromising images of the victim to her friends and family through Whatsapp. He also threatened to post more of her intimate pictures if she did not convert to Islam.
Iman Haneef had forced the victim to wear a burqa and a hijab and pray on Fridays on more than 1 occasion. The girl recounted, “Iman had initially insisted on getting married immediately. He said we would do a Nikkah and told me he would enrol me in a Madrassa (Islamic school), I resisted these plans.”
The victim further informed that the accused would often come home drunk and assault her. He had also taken possession of her gold earrings and mortgaged them by claiming that his father was unwell. Iman would also abuse her for being a member of the SC/ST community.
“When I refused to convert my faith, he asked me why I had so much pride despite belonging to the community I belonged to?” the girl added. Iman worked at a local banian manufacturing unit in Tirupur.
“Fearing for my life, I went back to my home town (in Karur district) around Diwali in 2021,” the woman had informed. Later, she went back to Tirupur to collect her education certificates and Aadhar card. It was then that Iman refused to hand over the documents and leaked her nude images on Instagram.
“He has been calling my parents and relatives and threatening to kill me,” she had stated. Aggrieved by his constant physical and psychological abuse, the girl lodged a complaint with the Nallur police in Tirupur on May 5 this year. A First Information Report (FIR) was then registered in connection with the case.
Charges were pressed against him under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (I) (criminal intimidation), Sections 66C, 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act. Iman was also booked under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.
Following his arrest on Wednesday (May 11), the accused was remanded to Tirupur district prison.
