BHUBANESWAR: A man accused of ‘love jihad’ and allegedly forcing a 27-year-old woman to convert was detained by the police here on Friday.
The accused Sameer Mansur (30), is a native of Bihar and reportedly working as a technician in Jammu and Kashmir. The woman is employed with a travel agency in Bhubaneswar. According to the police, Sameer came in contact with the woman, who belongs to Kujang in Jagatsinghpur district, through an online gaming application in 2022. He allegedly concealed his real name as well as religion and identified himself as Sameer Kumar of Bihar.
Both developed a relationship and spoke over the phone for several months. Earlier in March, Sameer arrived in Bhubaneswar to meet the woman. He took her to Puri and reportedly compelled her to maintain physical relationship with him.
However, the woman realised that the accused had misled her about his real identity and religion. After a quarrel on the issue, Sameer informed her that though he was a native of Bihar, he had spent most of his life in Jammu and Kashmir. He allegedly persuaded her to convert her religion and marry him but the woman did not relent.
After leaving Odisha, Sameer did not stop. He frequently telephoned the woman and intimidated her to tie the knot with him. When she stopped responding to his phone calls, he created a fake Instagram account and uploaded her objectionable videos. He also allegedly extorted `5 lakh from the woman’s father to not upload her objectionable videos on other social media websites, sources said.
The woman had then approached Mahila police who assisted her and managed to take down the fake Instagram account. Sameer, however, did not mend his ways and continued to harass the woman. Recently, he contacted the woman again and informed her that he was visiting Bhubaneswar to meet her.
He threatened her of dire consequences if she failed to turn up.
Fearing for her life, the victim sought assistance from the city police. Mahila police and special squad officers succeeded in nabbing him from Cuttack as he arrived in the state on Friday.
“A case was registered on Friday against Sameer under sections 376(1), 385, 386, 294 and 506 of IPC and sections 66A and 67A of IT Act. He is now being questioned and his mobile phone examined,” said a senior police officer.
Efforts are also on to ascertain his native place and if he was actually working in Jammu and Kashmir or not, the officer said.