Bhubaneswar: Mahila Police in Bhubaneswar on Saturday arrested a Kashmiri youth, detained the previous evening for alleged ‘love jihad’ and forcing a woman to convert for marriage.
The accused Md Samir Mansoori (24), a native of Bihar, is working as a electric mechanic in Jammu and Kashmir. He was produced before a court this morning after medical examination. His mobile phones have also been seized and sent to a forensic lab for examination, sources said.
Speaking to the media, Bhubaneswar DCP said that a case was registered at Mahila Police station under Sections 376(1), 385, 386, 294 and 506 of IPC and Sections 66E and 67 and 67A of IT Act on November 8.
The DCP said that the woman of Kujang in Jagatsinghpur district came in contact with Samir through an online gaming application in 2022. He had then allegedly concealed his last name as well as religion. They exchanged phone numbers and spoke to each other for several months. “He was able to gain her trust and also visited Odisha to meet her. They had spent some time in Puri. He also forced her into a relationship,” he said, quoting the FIR.
Mishra said that the youth then started to intimidated the woman and threatened to make videos of their intimate videos viral. “He also demanded money from her. When she did not relent, he uploaded the videos and also sent those to her family, relatives and friends,” he said.
The subsequent investigation revealed that Md Samir Mansoori hailed from Raxaul in Bihar’s East Champaran but worked in Jammu and Kashmir. “He was detained when he came to Odisha with the intention to take her along with him. He was then questioned,” he said.
Police have seized two mobiles, which were used fro uploading the videos, and also his Pan card and Aadhaar card to establish his identity, he said, adding ‘love jihad’ angle in the case is also being investigated.
Earlier in March, Samir arrived in Bhubaneswar and took the woman to Puri, where he reportedly coerced her to maintain physical relationship with him and also recorded those intimate moments. When the woman came to know about his real identity, she started avoiding him, but he continued to persuade her to convert and marry him. When she did not relent, he created a fake Instagram account and uploaded her objectionable videos. He also sent some images to her relatives and friends.
He also allegedly extorted Rs 5 lakh from her father, threatening to upload her objectionable videos on other social media websites, the sources said.
Recently, he contacted the woman again and informed her that he was visiting Bhubaneswar to meet her. She sought the help of police as he threatened her with dire consequences if she failed to turn up. As police kept a watch on Samir’s whereabouts, the woman continued her interaction with him to avoid any suspicion. Thereafter, a trap was laid and he was nabbed on arriving in the city, sources added.