A shocking case of alleged rape, blackmail and attempted religious conversion has been reported from the Sonegaon Police Station area. Police have arrested two men, including the victim’s former classmate, while a third accused is absconding. The arrested accused have been identified as Ayyaz Taj Madare (26), a resident of Brahmani turning in Kalmeshwar and Amin Shaikh (30) of Kalmeshwar.

 

The third accused, Hazrat Maulana, a resident of Tamia in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, is currently on the run. According to police, the victim is a 24-year-old married woman whose husband serves in the Air Force and is posted outside the city. The woman works in property business. Police said Ayyaz was her former classmate and contacted her in February 2025 regarding the purchase of a plot. Under the pretext of discussing the deal, Ayyaz allegedly took her to a hotel on Wardha Road. There, he reportedly gave her a drink mixed with a sedative. After she lost consciousness, he allegedly raped her and recorded the incident on his mobile phone. Police said he later used the photos and videos to threaten and blackmail her. Investigators said the accused repeatedly sexually exploited the woman and allegedly pressured her to convert to Islam.

 

The woman claimed that on May 31, Ayyaz took her to Kalmeshwar, where he introduced her to Amin and Hazrat Maulana. The trio allegedly took her to a secluded place and performed rituals in an attempt to convert her religion against her wishes. Police also alleged that Ayyaz extorted Rs 3.09 lakh from the woman by threatening to make the videos public. Unable to bear the harassment, the woman informed her husband after he returned home a few days ago. The couple then approached Sonegaon Police Station and filed a complaint. Based on the complaint, police registered a case for rape, criminal intimidation, attempted religious conversion and offences under the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act. The two arrested accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to five days of police custody. Further investigation is underway.