Cleric forces woman to convert to Islam to 'drive away evil spirits', arrested

A cleric was arrested in Uttar Pradesh on Friday for allegedly scaring a woman into converting to Islam by telling her doing so 'will free her from evil powers', police said.

Maulvi Sarfaraz was arrested after a complaint was filed against him by the woman's son, Akshay Srivastava.

In his complaint, he told police that his mother Meenu, had been facing some mental and physical problems since 2017 and had sought the help of maulvi at some people's advice.

According to him, his mother removed idols and pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses from her house at the maulvi's suggestion and even pressured her children and other family members to embrace Islam.

ACP Nandgram Ravi Kumar Singh said that the maulvi was arrested from the Morti village tri-section.

During interrogation, Sarfraz told police that he had been practising exorcism in the area for the last eight years and forced sick people into adopting Islam through fear of ghosts, Singh said.

Sarfaraz was booked under sections of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act and Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, he said.