Gurugram woman alleges forced conversion, assault after marriage by fraud

Police said the accused used a fake name, was already married and assaulted the woman at her Sector 14 residence. Two men have been arrested.

A 22-year-old woman in Gurugram has alleged that her husband assaulted her and tried to forcibly convert her to his religion after marrying her using a fake identity, police said on Wednesday, adding that the husband and his friend have been arrested in the case.

The woman said she learnt of her husband’s real identity after childbirth in 2023 and later escaped to Bihar before returning to Gurugram. (File photo)

Investigators said that the victim, a native of Bihar, lives in Sector 14, and works in the insurance department of an automobile showroom in Sector 15. She was duped by her husband, who identified himself to her as “Aarav”.

Her husband and his friend, both residents of Dhunela in Sohna, purposely visited her to buy vehicle insurance and trap her, police said. The victim and the suspect got married in 2022. However, after she gave birth to her son on August 11, 2023, she learnt that her husband was from a different religion and already married.

On Monday, the suspect came to the victim’s rented accommodation in Sector 14, where she has been staying since last year after she managed to flee, and physically assaulted her, forcing her to convert her religion and to live with his first wife and family members in Sohna.

Neighbours took the victim to a civil hospital in Sector 10 from where police were alerted.

Based on a written complaint by the victim, police have registered an FIR under sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 319 (cheating by personation), 333 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act on Wednesday and booked seven people, including Arif, his friend, and family members.

In the FIR, seen by HT, the victim alleged that the suspect had also assaulted her in an attempt to force her to terminate her pregnancy when they lived together in 2023. After she learnt his identity, he took her to his home in Sohna, where “his mother, wife and three brothers gave me a different name” and “repeatedly assaulted to convert my religion”. They also used to threaten to kill her son, she alleged.

Investigators said that, last year, she managed to escape with her son from their residence in Sohna and directly went to Bihar where she handed over the boy to her parents and returned to Gurugram to restart her life. However, the suspects managed to trace her location to Sector 14 and assaulted her after reaching there on Monday.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said Arif and Tarif were arrested on Wednesday. The duo will be taken on police-remand after production before a court on Thursday for further interrogation.