In a distressing case from Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, a young Hindu girl was allegedly forced by a Muslim youth named Azim Ali to convert to Islam and enter into a Nikah with him. The victim was reportedly compelled to consume meat, visit Dargahs, and read Islamic texts, activities contrary to her religious beliefs. Resisting these forced conversions led to physical assault by Azim Ali.

The legal process began when the victim filed a complaint at the Kotwali Nagar police station on June 25th against Azim Ali. She revealed that at 17, she was deceitfully drawn into a relationship by 24-year-old Azim, who lived nearby. He allegedly blackmailed her using obscene pictures and videos, leading to multiple instances of rape.

The complexity of the case increased about a year ago when Azim threatened to kill her and release her explicit videos if she did not comply with his demands. After her father lodged a police complaint, Azim and his father Shakir Ali, a chemist by profession, coerced her into providing favorable testimony. Shakir Ali is among the five accused in this case.

Once her statement was recorded in court, Azim Ali took her to his family home. There, Azim, his father Shakir, his mother Reshma, his brother Nadeem, and his sister Saima, all pressed her to renounce her Hindu faith and convert to Islam. Being a strict vegetarian, she was also forced by the family to cook and consume meat.

In her official complaint, the woman alleged that she was required to wear Islamic attire and read Islamic books. She was taken to tombs unwillingly. When she objected to these impositions, she was confined to a room and subjected to brutal assaults. Additionally, she endured extended periods of being left without food.

A few days after the initial incidents, the accused Azim forcibly converted the Hindu girl to Islam and performed Nikah with her. Subsequent to the Nikah, the girl was renamed Mayra. On Monday, the 24th of June, an altercation ensued when Azim, along with his mother, father, and brothers, assaulted Mayra. Their outrage stemmed from her reluctance to adhere to Islamic norms.

In a desperate bid for freedom, Mayra managed to escape her captors and made her way to the police station late at night. Upon reaching safety, she recounted her harrowing experiences to the authorities and called for strict punishment for all involved. Acting on her testimony, the police registered an FIR against Azim and his family members.

The accused persons have been booked under Sections 323, 504, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021. OpIndia has obtained a copy of the complaint. Meanwhile, Badaun police stated the case is being investigated, and further necessary action is underway.