Hyd-based engr held in Bhubaneswar for woman’s rape, convert bid

Bhubaneswar: Saheed Nagar police on Sunday arrested a Hyderabad-based civil engineer for allegedly raping his girlfriend and trying to force her to convert her religion on the pretext of marriage.The 33-year-old accused from Bidar in Karnataka had allegedly befriended the 22-year-old woman posing as Jayram Sharma. The complainant, who works in a hotel, came in contact with the man about a year back through a mutual friend.Last week, he travelled to Bhubaneswar to meet her. During the meeting, he allegedly raped her and then pressurised her to accompany him to Hyderabad. It was then that he revealed his true identity and also insisted she change her religion.

When she refused, he allegedly assaulted her again and attempted to abduct her, prompting her to lodge a police complaint on Saturday.“The rape survivor is a Hindu, while the accused is from a minority community. As per her complaint, he concealed his identity and introduced himself as a Hindu to gain her trust under the pretext of marriage. A case has been registered against him under charges of rape, criminal conspiracy, and kidnapping,” an officer of Saheed Nagar police station said.

During interrogation, the man denied the allegations. He claimed the woman was aware of his identity and that he had never forced her to convert. He further alleged that the woman framed him after he discovered she was involved in another relationship.