Maulana arrested in Meerut for raping, blackmailing college student

Meerut (UP): Police have arrested a cleric (maulana) in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district for allegedly raping a college student and blackmailing her for two years, officials said on Friday.

Lohiannagar police station SHO Yogesh Chandra told PTI that the accused was arrested following a complaint lodged by a 21-year-old college student.

According to the complaint, the cleric first befriended the victim under the pretext of getting her a job, and later established a physical relationship with her.

The complainant claimed she was subjected to threats and coercion for nearly two years.

The SHO said the student alleged that the accused also recorded an objectionable video of her and used it to blackmail her repeatedly.

When the woman brought up the topic of marriage, the accused allegedly took her to another locality, where four of his associates reportedly raped her, according to the complaint.

The woman also claimed that when the accused found out that she was pregnant, he took her to a hotel and forced her to consume an intoxicating substance, leading to an abortion.

Based on the complaint, police have registered an FIR under the relevant sections of law, the SHO said.

While a preliminary investigation did not confirm the allegation of gang-rape, police are probing all the other aspects of the case, he added.