Ghaziabad: MBA graduate held for forcing woman to convert, abetting her suicide

Police said they also had access to medical documents that indicated that the woman got pregnant and the suspect allegedly forced her to undergo an abortion

The Ghaziabad police on Wednesday arrested a 38-year-old man on charges of abetting the suicide of a 30-year-old woman and also for allegedly forcing her to convert in order to marry her.

The suspect in Ghaziabad police custody on Wednesday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Senior officers said the woman died after setting herself afire with kerosene at her house in Ghaziabad on December 11, and her 70-year-old father later lodged an FIR against the man, identified as Faraz Athar Ali, hailing from Shahdara in Delhi and presently residing in Noida’s Sector 105.

Police said the suspect is an MBA graduate and runs a shoemaking unit in Noida.

“Ali was in touch with the woman for the past five years and forced her to change her religion. We have recovered various religious texts and books that were given to the woman to learn ways of his religion. He was flouting anti-conversion rules and was delaying marrying her. He had also made her join online groups which preached his religion,” said Rajesh Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (city).

In the FIR, the woman’s ailing father said he noticed that his daughter remained isolated in a room away from family, and he noticed on November 14 that she was practising the ways of a different religion.

“This led me into a severe state of depression, and I was hospitalised… I got discharged on November 17, and on November 24, the suspect and his family members met me and my daughter at a prominent hotel in Noida. There, he again reiterated his commitment to marry her and asked us not to disclose this to anyone… Still, he kept on delaying the wedding. Later, my daughter disclosed the harassment and physical exploitation by the suspect and also that he wanted to usurp our property,” the woman’s father said in the FIR.

The police said they also had access to medical documents that indicated that the woman got pregnant and the suspect allegedly forced her to undergo an abortion.

“On the day of the suicide, she made about 120 calls to the suspect, but he did not reply. We have accessed several voice call records between the two. The woman was upset as the suspect was repeatedly delaying the wedding and also took away ₹6.5 lakh from her. The suspect also forced her to take drugs, and the woman’s condition was deteriorating. Finally, she ended her life by setting herself afire at one of her houses in Ghaziabad,” the DCP said.

Police registered an FIR under section 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property), 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc), 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means, etc), 108 (abetting suicide), 89 (causing miscarriage without a woman’s consent), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) against the suspect and three of his family members, besides two unidentified persons.

The DCP said that the suspect was arrested, and the role of his family members is also being ascertained as part of the investigation.

Police have also levied provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act and provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.