Maulvi held for raping, attempting religious conversion of woman in Ankleshwar

Ankleshwar: Panoli Police have arrested a madrasa cleric (maulvi) for allegedly raping a woman and later threatening her to convert to Islam. The shocking incident occurred in a village on the outskirts of Ankleshwar, near the Surat border.

According to the police, the woman became acquainted with the cleric, identified as Azwad (Ajwad) Ahmed Bemat, 52, through a mutual friend. After the introduction, the accused allegedly began frequently calling and messaging her and lured her with a promise of marriage. On November 9, the cleric reportedly called the woman to his residence inside the madrasa premises. There, he allegedly gave her a suspicious liquid (appearing to be scented), after which she became semi-conscious. Taking advantage of her condition, the accused allegedly raped her twice.

When the woman regained consciousness, the cleric allegedly attempted to force her to convert and threatened to defame her and harm her children if she refused. Despite the threats, the woman approached Panoli Police Station and lodged a complaint, after which the accused was arrested. The initial probe revealed that the accused is also a Canadian citizen. His 10-day police remand has been granted, and further investigation is underway.

Police are now probing his activities in India, his travel history to other countries, and whether he targeted other women using similar methods. DeshGujarat