On 20th December, a divorced Hindu woman filed a complaint at Naubasta Police Station, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, accusing a man named Akeel of raping her and pressurising her to convert to Islam. She also accused him of attempting to extort Rs 5 lakh from her using obscene videos.
Initially, the police facilitated a compromise between the victim and Akeel. However, when the harassment did not stop, the woman approached the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), who ordered an investigation into the matter.
Background of the case
According to media reports, the incident took place in the Dada Nagar area of Kanpur. The victim in this case is a divorced Hindu woman from Barra who works in a factory where the accused, Akeel, was employed as a contractor. When Akeel approached the victim, he claimed that he was single. However, it was later revealed that he was already married.
Furthermore, Akeel hid his true identity and posed as “Baua” to befriend the victim. He promised to marry her and coerced her into a physical relationship multiple times. The victim said in her complaint that she resisted a physical relationship with Akeel, but he did not pay heed to her.
The victim told the police that Akeel took her to several hotels and recorded obscene photos and videos of her. During that time, the victim became pregnant. When Akeel came to know about the pregnancy, he forced the victim to undergo an abortion. Eventually, the victim discovered his real identity, that he was a Muslim man, and also came to know that he was already married.
When the victim confronted him, Akeel started pressurising her to convert to Islam. The victim categorically refused to convert, after which Akeel resorted to blackmailing her using the explicit photos and videos. The victim alleged that Akeel attempted to extort Rs 5 lakh from her.
When she was left with no options, the victim approached Akeel’s wife. When she told his wife about her ordeal, instead of helping her, Akeel’s wife and his three brothers-in-law brutally assaulted the victim. Following the incident, the woman approached the police to file a complaint. However, no substantial action was taken by the police at that time. On 5th December, the police facilitated a compromise between the victim and Akeel’s family.
Following the compromise, Akeel did not stop pressurising the victim to give him Rs 5 lakh and convert to Islam. On 20th December, the victim finally decided to approach the ADCP and told him her ordeal. The ADCP took cognisance of the matter and directed the Naubasta police station to investigate the matter. Hindu organisations have come forward in support of the victim. They have expressed concerns over increasing instances of love jihad in Kanpur and demanded strict action against Akeel.
