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Conversion row: Probe shifts to KGMU doctor’s modus operandi, wider network
Dr Malik, who was remanded to 48-hour police custody by Lucknow’s Chowk police, was questioned for several hours on Tuesday after being brought from Gosaiganj district jail at 1 pm on Monday. Investigators are now trying to piece together how he allegedly identified, approached and influenced women doctors, particularly those who were professionally vulnerable or new to the city.
Investigators probing the alleged sexual exploitation and religious conversion case involving KGMU resident doctor Dr Rameezuddin Nayak aka Rameez Malik, 31, are now focusing on uncovering his modus operandi and possible links to a wider network operating across Uttar Pradesh, senior officials said on Tuesday.
Dr Malik, who was remanded to 48-hour police custody by Lucknow’s Chowk police, was questioned for several hours on Tuesday after being brought from Gosaiganj district jail at 1 pm on Monday. Investigators are now trying to piece together how he allegedly identified, approached and influenced women doctors, particularly those who were professionally vulnerable or new to the city.
According to police, a key line of inquiry is how Dr Malik allegedly targeted medical professionals, gained their confidence under the pretext of marriage, and gradually exerted emotional and psychological control. “We are examining patterns — how contact was initiated, how trust was built, and at what stage pressure was applied,” a senior officer associated with the probe said.
Investigators are also probing Dr Malik’s suspected links with certain groups operating in Agra and other cities, amid concerns that the case may not be an isolated incident. Police are seeking to ascertain whether these links played any role in facilitating alleged conversions or in providing logistical or ideological support.
“Particular emphasis is being laid on whether he was acting alone or was part of a larger, organised network,” the officer said, adding that inputs gathered during questioning are being cross-verified with call records, travel details and digital evidence.
As part of the remand proceedings, police are searching for old mobile phones and electronic devices that could reveal chats, call histories and other communications that may help establish links with associates in different cities. Information provided by the survivor is being used to map timelines and identify possible intermediaries.
Police officials said a face-to-face questioning session between Dr Malik and the survivor is also being planned, strictly in accordance with legal protocols, to clarify contradictions and strengthen the evidentiary chain. This, they said, is expected to help investigators better understand the alleged pattern of manipulation.
Officials said further questioning during the remand period will focus on establishing the full extent of the alleged network, if any, and determining whether similar cases exist. “Understanding the modus operandi is crucial to ascertaining whether this is a one-off crime or part of a larger pattern,” the officer said.
Dr Malik, a resident doctor in the pathology department at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), has been booked for sexual exploitation and forced religious conversion. The survivor, a resident of Howrah in West Bengal, alleged that he sexually exploited her on the promise of marriage and later pressured her to convert before refusing to marry her. She later attempted suicide.
She has also alleged that another woman doctor from Agra was similarly trapped, converted and later married by Dr Malik in February 2025 — a claim police said is being independently verified.
