A 28-year-old mother from Noida was allegedly coerced into converting to Islam, renamed, and married off through a forged nikahnama in Chennai. Noida Police confirmed that they have arrested three accused, including the prime conspirator, while two others remain absconding.
The crime came to light after the victim’s mother approached the Allahabad High Court, filing a petition seeking her daughter’s recovery. Acting on the court’s directions, the police traced the woman, the mother of a six-year-old child, to Chennai and successfully rescued her.
Investigations revealed that the accused, Raja Mian alias Ehsan, manipulated and lured the woman into a relationship, then forced her conversion to Islam. She was given a new name against her will before being subjected to a fraudulent Islamic marriage ceremony (nikah). Police confirmed that despite this forced marriage, the woman was still legally married to her husband and had not sought divorce.
According to the FIR, Raja Mian did not act alone. His family allegedly played a direct role in the crime. His mother impersonated the woman’s aunt to lend legitimacy to the fraudulent marriage, while his brother posed as her brother to complete the deception. A local cleric prepared a forged nikahnama (marriage contract) to formalize the sham union.
Police confirmed that while Raja Mian, his father, and mother have been arrested and sent to jail, his brother and the cleric are absconding. Efforts are underway to apprehend them.
Officials pointed out that the accused carefully exploited social vulnerabilities to trap the woman. By fabricating a religious conversion and forging documents, they sought to override her legal marriage and impose a new identity on her, raising serious concerns about fraudulent conversions, misuse of religious institutions, and the role of complicit clerics.
“This case shows how vulnerable women are being targeted through deception, coercion, and the misuse of religious procedures. Our priority is the safety of the victim, strict legal action against the accused, and preventing recurrence of such crimes,” a police officer stated.
