Nagpur, June 18: The Nagpur Police have arrested a cleric who was allegedly involved in the forced religious conversion of a 24-year-old woman, the wife of an Indian Air Force officer. The accused, identified as Hazrat Maulana, was apprehended in Madhya Pradesh and brought into custody for questioning.

The case, which surfaced earlier this week, has attracted widespread attention due to the serious allegations made by the woman. In her complaint, she accused a former classmate and his several associates of sexual assault, blackmail, coercive religious conversion, and performing rituals claimed to be linked to black magic.

The controversy intensified after a video circulated widely on social media. The footage allegedly showed a man holding the woman by the hand while reciting religious verses. The video sparked outrage and led to increased scrutiny of the case.

According to NDTV, the principal accused, Ayaaz Madare (26), and his associate, Ameen Shaikh, are already in police custody. Investigators believe the arrested cleric played a significant role in the alleged conversion process and the conduct of a purported marriage ceremony.

As detailed in the FIR, the woman alleged that on February 8, 2025, she met Ayaaz at a hotel where he allegedly mixed an intoxicating substance into her drink. She claimed that after losing consciousness, compromising photographs and videos were taken without her consent. The accused allegedly used these materials to threaten her, warning that they would be shared with her husband and posted online. The woman further alleged that she was repeatedly subjected to sexual assault and forced to hand over nearly Rs 4 lakh.

In the viral video, the woman can reportedly be seen crying and pleading to be released while the accused recites verses and performs rituals. She claimed that following the incident, she was told that she had been converted against her will and that further attempts were made to sexually assault her.

The complainant also alleged that Ayaaz regularly forced her to consume a liquid from a plastic bottle. After drinking it, she claimed he would chant in Urdu, blow on her face, and describe the process as hypnosis or black magic before assaulting her.

Another incident mentioned in the complaint allegedly took place on May 31, when the woman was taken to Kalmeshwar by the accused and his associate. There, Hazrat Maulana allegedly conducted religious rituals and compelled her to utter “qubool hai” against her wishes. She stated that the cleric subsequently declared her conversion and performed a nikah ceremony with Ayaaz.

Police officials said further details are expected to emerge during the cleric’s interrogation. Investigators are now seeking documents related to the alleged marriage and examining whether additional individuals were involved. Authorities are also exploring whether similar incidents involving other women may have occurred.

New Delhi, June 17: Days before lakhs of students are set to appear for the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21, a NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide in Delhi.

The deceased, identified as Renu, lived with her family in the Palam area of South-West Delhi. According to reports, she had appeared for the NEET examination on May 3 and had reportedly been suffering from depression after the examination was cancelled.

Police said that on June 13, Renu’s father had gone to his in-laws’ residence following the death of his father-in-law. Renu was alone at home when the incident occurred. She allegedly died by hanging herself on the evening of June 13.

A suicide note recovered from the spot revealed her emotional distress. In the note, she apologised to her parents and wrote that she had been unable to fulfil their aspirations. The family is originally from Rajasthan.

The incident comes amid growing concern over the mental well-being of students preparing for highly competitive examinations, particularly after the controversy surrounding the NEET examination and allegations of paper leaks.

Earlier this week, a 22-year-old NEET aspirant died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. The student, identified as Umesh Mali, was preparing for his third attempt at the NEET examination, which is scheduled to be held on June 21.

This was the second case of a NEET aspirant dying by suicide in Sikar, highlighting the mounting pressure faced by students preparing for competitive entrance examinations.

According to police, Umesh was a native of Nawalgarh in Jhunjhunu district. His father works as a tile contractor in Mumbai. Umesh had been residing in a flat in the Udyog Nagar police station area of Sikar along with his mother, elder sister, and younger brother while preparing for the examination.

In another similar incident reported on Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman in Dehradun allegedly ended her life after reportedly struggling to clear the NEET examination. She left behind a note addressed to her parents that read, “Mummy-Papa, I love you.”

According to investigators, preliminary findings suggest that she had been preparing for the NEET examination for a long time and aspired to pursue a career in medicine.

Meanwhile, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh on Tuesday assured aspirants that the re-examination would be conducted in a secure and error-free manner, while cautioning students and parents against social media rackets claiming to sell “leaked papers” for hefty sums.

In a video message, Singh said there was “no leaked paper for the re-exam” and warned candidates against falling prey to fraudsters operating through Telegram channels.

He said the temporary suspension of the Telegram application till June 22 was aimed at curbing fake news and misleading claims relating to the examination.

New Delhi, June 17: The CISF personnel at Terminal-1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday intercepted a passenger bound for Kolkata after noticing suspicious behaviour during security screening. A detailed frisking led to the recovery of 1.210 kg of gold concealed in the passenger’s clothing, along with Rs 1,97,200 in unaccounted cash. Upon questioning, the passenger failed to produce any valid documents or provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the recovered items.

During the proceedings, the passenger allegedly attempted to influence the on-duty CISF personnel to avoid legal action. However, the CISF staff displayed exemplary integrity by rejecting the offer and promptly reporting the matter to senior authorities.

The passenger, along with the seized gold and cash, was subsequently handed over to the Income Tax Department for further investigation and legal action.

The successful interception highlights the vigilance, professionalism, and unwavering integrity of CISF personnel in safeguarding the nation’s civil aviation sector and reinforces their commitment to the motto of ensuring “Safe Airports, Secure Nation”.

Earlier on June 4, the CISF personnel intercepted a foreign national at the Mumbai airport and recovered illicit foreign currency worth Rs 1.39 crore, being carried by him in his luggage.

The foreign national was subsequently taken into custody and handed over to the Customs officials at the airport for further interrogation and action.

According to CISF officials, the said passenger was travelling from Mumbai to Addis Ababa with the unaccounted cash.

The foreign national, while checking in for the scheduled flight, came under the scanner of vigilant officials after the latter observed some suspicious objects in his baggage during screening at the X-BIS system. The X-ray image of his belongings created some suspicion, prompting the CISF officials to carry out a detailed examination of his hand luggage.

It was during baggage screening that the CISF personnel stumbled upon a suspicious bag, belonging to a traveller of foreign origin, and then dug deeper into the scanned image. An uncleared foreign currency amounting to USD 145,000 (approx Rs 1.39 crore) was found in his bag and subsequently seized by the authorities.