Bengaluru: The Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) police have arrested Mohammed Haneef, chief executive officer of a non-governmental organisation on charges of cheating, sexual harassment, forced religious conversion pressure and caste-based abuse. The arrest follows a complaint filed by a 43-year-old woman who alleged that the accused exploited her vulnerability after her husband secretly sold a school jointly started by the couple.
The accused has been identified as Mohammed Hanif, who was taken into custody based on the woman’s complaint and later remanded to judicial custody. Police said the case was initially registered at the Byatarayanapura police station before being transferred to the DCRE for further investigation, considering the allegations of caste abuse and civil rights violations.
According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of BTM Layout, was undergoing marital discord and had approached a court seeking divorce. During the period when relations between the couple were cordial, they had jointly started a private English-medium school. However, following differences between them, her husband allegedly sold the school to a third party without her knowledge or consent.
Shocked by the development, the woman sought help through acquaintances and was introduced to Mohammed Hanif, who projected himself as the managing director of a private media organisation and the CEO of Citizen Labour Welfare and Anti-Corruption Committee. Police said Hanif assured her that through his NGO and media influence, he could speak to senior police officials, publicise the issue and help restore the school’s ownership to her.
Believing his claims, the woman remained in regular contact with Hanif. In her complaint, she stated that after a few months, he appointed her as the State President of the women’s wing of his NGO, further strengthening her trust in him. She alleged that he continued to promise a resolution to the school dispute, claiming that he had strong connections in both official and spiritual circles.
The woman further alleged that Hanif told her about a “guru” from Kerala and insisted that performing special rituals would help resolve her problems. Acting on his advice, she frequently visited the astrologer’s residence. During these visits, she claimed Hanif would offer her tea or other beverages allegedly spiked with substances, after which he would behave in a sexually inappropriate manner and make explicit remarks. She also alleged that he took ₹7 lakh from her during this phase under the pretext of expenses related to the rituals and legal intervention.
Two years later, Hanif reportedly shifted his office to Nayandahalli. The woman alleged that when she visited the new office to follow up on her case, he touched her inappropriately against her will. When she objected, he allegedly suggested that she marry him, assuring her that all her problems would be solved thereafter. However, he is accused of insisting that she should convert to Islam as a condition for marriage.
The complaint states that the physical and mental harassment continued over time. Despite allegedly paying a total of ₹16 lakh to Hanif, the woman said there was no progress in recovering the school. When she confronted him at his residence over the money and broken promises, she alleged that he abused her using obscene language and made caste-based remarks, humiliating her in the process.
Speaking to reporters after the arrest, the victim said Hanif runs an NGO named Citizen Labour Welfare and Anti-Corruption Committee. “I was introduced to him by a third person regarding a property dispute. He spoke about a guru in Kerala and promised that my problems would be solved. He would spike beverages and sexually abuse me”, she alleged.
