Two arrested over allegations of sexual assault, forced religious conversion in Bhopal

Those arrested have been identified as Farhan and Sahil, and three Zero FIRs have been registered in Bag Sewania, Jahangirabad, and Ashoka Garden police stations under the POCSO Act, the IT Act, sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, police said.

Bhopal Commissioner of Police HC Mishra said: “Three separate complainants have come forward in this case. Two of the main accused have been arrested. Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been formed to probe the matter thoroughly. Prima facie, the case involves rape, and one of the victims was a minor at the time, so charges under the POCSO Act have also been added”.

The third suspect remains at large, Mishra said, adding that police were looking for him. A case has been filed against the trio under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the MP Freedom of Religion Act.

Police claim they are looking into allegations that the accused tried to conceal their religious identity and later tried to convert the victims.

Police sources claim that one of the accused, Farhan Ali alias Faraz, a former student of the college, befriended a minor victim two years ago by hiding his identity, allegedly raped her, recorded the assault, and used the video to blackmail her. “The accused and his two accomplices reportedly employed similar tactics to target the other victims,” said a police officer.