NAGPUR: The third accused in the alleged rape, blackmail, extortion and forced religious conversion case involving a 24-year-old woman in Nagpur surrendered before police late on Wednesday night and was subsequently arrested, officials said on Thursday.According to deputy commissioner of police (DCP), zone 1, Nagpur City Police, Singa Reddy Rushikesh, the accused, a cleric who had been absconding, surrendered before investigators and will be produced before a court on Thursday.“The third accused, who had been absconding, surrendered late on Wednesday night. He was subsequently arrested by the police. The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday,” the DCP said.Police said the cleric allegedly played an active role in the woman’s alleged religious conversion and the nikah ceremony that was purportedly conducted without her consent. Two other accused had already been detained earlier in connection with the case.According to the complainant, the main accused re-established contact with her on the pretext of helping her resolve a property-related matter. She alleged that during a meeting at a hotel in February 2025, she was administered an intoxicating substance and that compromising photographs and videos were recorded without her consent.The woman claimed the material was later used to threaten and blackmail her, and that nearly Rs 4 lakh was extorted from her over a period of time.Police said the complainant also alleged that she was subjected to certain rituals and practices before being sexually assaulted. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered and an investigation launched under sections related to sexual assault, criminal intimidation and extortion, along with provisions of Maharashtra’s anti-superstition and anti-black magic laws.As per the FIR, the woman alleged that on May 31 she was taken to Kalmeshwar, where a religious conversion ceremony was conducted against her will. She further claimed that she was declared converted and married to the main accused through a nikah without her consent.The allegations are under investigation, and police are probing the role of all three accused in the case.(With ANI inputs)
