In Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, a Hindu woman has submitted a written complaint to the district collector, accusing a man named Riyaz of deceit and coercing her into an illegal religious conversion.
The woman, originally a resident of Tripura, said in her statement that, about 4 years ago, Riyaz, originally belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, befriended her on social media pretending to be Gulshan Manhas, a Hindu. A few months later, the accused married her in a temple as per Hindu customs, but after she had a child with him, he began pressuring her to convert to Islam. He assaulted and threatened her with life when she refused to accede to his demands.
The vcitim said that in the year 2021, Riyaz called her to Andhra Pradesh promising to marry her. The woman went to Andhra Pradesh a few days later without informing her family. In June 2021, the couple was married in a temple following Hindu customs in Vradapalam city, Andhra Pradesh. Following their marriage, they settled into a rented house in the same city.
The woman recalled how Riyaz would always dodge her questions about his family and instead say, “I am a good person… I didn’t deceive you.”
On December 7, 2022, the victim gave birth to a son in a private hospital, whom she named Gurdeep. Approximately four months later, the accused took the woman to Jammu, claiming he was taking her to his home. He mentioned that the village he lived in was called Kandi.
In her application, the woman further stated that after Gulshan took her to his house, she noticed that the environment of his house was completely different from hers, raising her suspicions about his religion. One day, when Gulshan slaughtered a chicken at home, witnessing how he did it confirmed her doubts that he was not a Hindu. Despite this realization, she remained calm and decided to seek further clarity.
One day when Gulshan was not at home, the woman began asking around about him. She noted that when she inquired in Muslim households, everyone would defend Gulshan. However, when she spoke with people from Hindu families, she discovered that Gulshan’s real name was Riyaz Ahmed and that he was a Muslim.
Upon discovering this, the accused’s family and some members of the community began pressuring her to convert to Islam. When she refused, Gulshan physically assaulted her, threatening to kill her if she did not comply, but she remained steadfast in her decision. Subsequently, she attempted to escape with her child several times but was unsuccessful. Although she filed a report at the Kandi police station, no action was taken. Eventually, seizing an opportunity, she managed to leave the house and made her way to Delhi and then to Rajasthan. However, the accused tracked her using her mobile location and found her there as well, forcibly taking her back to his home.
Once taken back to his home, she and her child were confined indoors for approximately five months. Eventually, she managed to find an opportunity to escape and made her way to Chhattisgarh. Upon arriving in the village of Bhikhampura in the Sarangarh district, she connected with a local NGO. Currently, she is residing there and teaching children through the organization.
On Monday, September 23, she travelled from the village to the Raigarh Collectorate, where she filed a written complaint against Riyaz Ahmed aka Gulshan. She has also sought help at the SP office.
