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UP Police may seek remand of KGMU doc arrested for rape forced conversion

Lucknow, Jan 10 (PTI) Police may seek remand of the junior resident of King George's Medical University (KGMU), who is accused of sexual exploitation, religious conversion and 'love jihad', for further investigation, officials said on Saturday.
     Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishwajeet Shrivastav said the police could take Dr Ramizuddin Naik — who was arrested on Friday — into custody to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the alleged crimes. The medical college has already recommended his dismissal.
     "During this period, we will examine the circumstances prior to the incident, the complainant's interactions with the accused, the alleged plan of the crime and the role of other individuals involved," he said.
     Police sources said investigators will also probe the accused's involvement in alleged religious conversion and abortion-related charges and question him on the role of family members, including his father, who is reportedly married to multiple women and allegedly involved in unlawful conversions.
     Officials added that mobile phones, documents and other digital evidence would be examined during the remand to comprehensively probe the matter.
     The complainant, a woman resident doctor at KGMU, had accused Dr Naik of concealing his marriage, sexually exploiting her under the pretext of marriage, forcing her to undergo an abortion, threatening her and pressuring her to convert.
     A case was registered against him on December 22 under charges that include rape, criminal intimidation and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
     KGMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Soniya Nityanand on Friday said Dr Naik was suspended on December 22 and barred from campus. She added that the university's seven-member internal committee found all allegations against him to be substantiated and submitted its report to the state government.
     Based on the report, the university has proposed his dismissal to the Directorate General of Medical Education, which is expected to recommend cancellation of his junior residency admission to the National Medical Commission.
     Police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 50,000 when Dr Naik was absconding. His parents were taken into custody on January 5.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)