Forced to Wear Burqa, Convert: Karnataka Woman Alleges She Was Raped by Man In Front of Wife

Bengaluru: In a shocking incident, a couple in Karnataka allegedly blackmailed a 28-year-old woman by using her explicit pictures and forced her to convert to Islam and wear a burqa after the victim was raped by the husband in front of the wife, according to police officials.

An FIR has been levelled against seven people in Saundatti in connection with the case under the SC/ST Act, relevant provisions of the IT Law and Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act.

The accused, identified as Rafik, allegedly forced the woman to remove the 'kumkum' from her forehead.  As per police officials, the woman was made to move to the couple's house back in 2023 and she was asked to comply with whatever demands they made. According to the woman's complaint, the man had raped her in the presence of his wife last year.

The couple had allegedly forced the woman to stop wearing kumkum and offer namaz five times a day instead since April, wearing a burqa, media reports stated, citing a top-ranked police official. The woman was also subjected to abuses based on her caste after she was told that she should convert as she hails from a backward caste.

According to the woman's complaint, Rafik had asked the woman to leave her husband and convert. They had allegedly threatened to kill her and leak her intimate pictures if she disobeyed them.