Horror as woman, 23, ‘gang raped and forced to get married and change religion’ | World | News
The attack allegedly occurred in Delhi (Image: Getty)
A woman was allegedly gang raped, tortured and forced to change her religion before being married to her attacker in a four-year ordeal that has horrified police in India. The 23-year-old victim told officers she was targeted by a gang after a man was accused of befriending her online using a fake identity linked to another religion.
Police in Delhi said the abuse began in 2021 after the suspect gained her trust through social media before allegedly abducting and repeatedly sexually assaulting her. According to investigators, the woman was then blackmailed with videos of the attacks and threatened with violence if she refused to obey the gang’s demands.
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Officers said she was eventually forced to convert to another religion and marry the main accused while being kept under intimidation and confinement, reported PTINews.
The woman finally approached Delhi Police on May 14 this year and detailed what detectives described as years of “continuous sexual assault and extreme physical torture”.
Four of the six accused named in the case — including one woman — have now been arrested by police in South-east Delhi.
The alleged ringleader is already being held in Dasna jail in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a separate criminal case.
Delhi Police have secured a transit remand to bring him into the capital for questioning and to carry out a formal reconstruction of the alleged crimes.
A senior officer said investigators were also probing claims the suspect had links to an illegal firearms racket.
Police raids have so far failed to recover any weapons, but detectives said inquiries into possible gun trading activities were continuing.
The case has triggered outrage locally because of the allegations of forced religious conversion alongside repeated sexual violence.
Police said the victim belonged to a different religion from the accused and was allegedly manipulated through the fake online persona before becoming trapped in the abuse.
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A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under several serious sections of the Indian Penal Code, including kidnapping to compel marriage, gang rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.
The National Human Rights Commission has also taken note of the allegations because of the severity of the claimed abuse and human rights violations.
Two suspects named in the FIR remain on the run and police teams are continuing searches to trace them.
Investigators believe the woman endured sustained abuse for around four years before managing to escape or seek help earlier this month.
The shocking allegations have renewed concerns in India over crimes involving online grooming, coercive relationships and violence against women.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are expected.
