Quack held for raping, forceful conversion of woman in Muzaffarnagar

Family members of the Muzaffarnagar victim venting their anger

Muzaffarnagar police on Tuesday have arrested a quack for allegedly raping and forcing a 32-year-old woman for religious conversion.

Acting on a tip-off, the police with the help of some locals who are reportedly the disciples of a local sadhu -- Jitendra Kumar ji Maharaj alias Mauni Baba of Jadwar Katiya village in Muzaffarnagar district -- have rescued the woman.

"My husband was not earning anything to run the family and used to beat me. So I deserted him and joined the clinic of Kalam last year to assist him. He raped me there and threatened that he would kill my son and daughter if I resisted or revealed it to anybody," the woman alleged.

The medical examination of the woman has confirmed rape. "The quack took me to his village Kamhera where he forced me to convert into his faith. He is also a Maulvi by education. He recited some verses to convert me and changed my name to Shabana. His wife helped him in the entire process," she said.

"One day, I narrated my story to Yashpal, who used to visit the clinic. He told his friend Balbir about my problem and they rescued me," she further said.

The police have registered cases against Kalam, a scrap dealer and also practices Unani medicine in the city for the past six years, under Sections 376 and 377 of the IPC. Moreover, cases have also been registered against Kalam's wife Khushnuma, daughters Saira and Shabnam, son Salman and four aides Mohammad Afzal, Merazuddin, Nawab, Sajid and Salim.

"The woman has registered a case at Meerapur police station in Muzaffarnagar. While Kalam has been arrested, other accused are on the run," said Kamal Singh Yadav, the investigating police inspector. Speaking to Mail Today, Balbir Upadhyaya, alias Pujari, the man who purportedly rescued the woman, said: "Yashpal told Mauni Baba, my guru about the woman. So, he called me and assigned the task to rescue her."

"We don't work with any political group. I helped her in escaping from the clinic of Kalam on Sunday. Since then I went to the leaders of all these Hindu organisations with the request to rehabilitate her or at least make arrangement for her stay for a few days so that I can pursue her case with the police. Although they all wanted to make it a political issue, none of them was genuinely interested in the wellbeing of the victim. They all suggested me to make arrangement for her stay in some hotel. I am really disappointed with their disgusting behavior," Balbir said.