Man held for raping 24-year-old woman and pressurising conversion in Noida

A 26-year-old man was arrested in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly raping a woman under false marriage pretenses, prompting police scrutiny.

Days after a 24-year-old woman alleged rape on the pretext of marriage, a 26-year-old man was arrested from Madhya Pradesh on Friday, officials said.

According to police, two teams were formed to arrest the suspect after the woman filed a complaint against him.

Police identified the suspect as Mohammad Ramiz alias Vikas Kumar, a resident of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. He passed Class 10 and worked at a private company in Noida, police said.

“Ramiz was arrested using electronic surveillance,” Noida police said in a statement.

According to police, two teams were formed to arrest the suspect after the woman filed a complaint against him. An FIR was registered on March 17, in which the woman alleged Ramiz hid his religion and raped her after promising marriage.

“The woman stated in her complaint that she met Ramiz around two years ago on social media. Later, they entered into a live-in relationship, and the suspect faked his religion. When the woman pressured him for marriage, the suspect forced her to convert after revealing his ‘identity’. He even blackmailed and extorted money from her,” said RK Gautam, additional deputy commissioner of police (central Noida).

Earlier on March 19, two Noida police officers – a station house officer (SHO) and a sub-inspector – were suspended for failing to include sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and the SC/ST Act in the case despite the complainant’s allegations of religious conversion and casteist remarks, police said.

A clarification was sought from deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Shakti Mohan Avasthy. Additionally, a preliminary inquiry has been initiated against assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Umesh Yadav, and both the sections were added to the FIR.