Hyderabad: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has directed Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy to ensure the immediate registration of a first information report (FIR), arrest of the accused and a prompt, time-bound investigation into an alleged case of rape, forced conversion and blackmail, which the Commission has characterised as a “love jihad” conspiracy.
The NCW has also sought adequate protection for the woman at the centre of the case.
According to the woman, a man named Nawaz, a native of Nellore residing in Hyderabad’s Begumpet, first approached her in May 2025 after she advertised a shop owned by her family for rent. Within days, Nawaz took her to a guest house on the pretext of introducing his family members to her, framing it as a first step towards their marriage, she said.
Allegations of false identity, rape, blackmail, conversion, torture
The woman alleged that when Nawaz met her for the first time, he told her he had converted to Hinduism and adopted the name “Nava Durga.” At the guest house, she claimed she was drugged and gang-raped by Nawaz’s brothers and friends. She further alleged that this was not the first time. She said she had been raped thrice by Nawaz’s brothers earlier at the Begumpet apartment where he lived, before she was even taken to the guest house.
Following the guest house incident, she claimed Nawaz began blackmailing her with videos of the alleged rape, threatening to release them on social media if she refused to marry him. The two were married on July 28, 2025, at the sub-registrar’s office, after which, Nawaz’s family forcibly converted her to Islam and gave her the name “Nazeera,” she alleged.
She claimed that Nawaz’s family extorted Rs 16.7 lakh from her in the name of dowry, extracted additional money for registering land in her name and for settling a “Hawala note,” and also sold her mother’s property in Shamshabad.
Despite lodging a complaint with the Punjagutta Police, she said no action was taken against Nawaz, his family members or his friends, who she alleged had repeatedly raped and physically tortured her.
Accused says the first call for love was made by the woman
Nawaz told a different story. He confirmed meeting her for the first time on May 19, 2025, and paying her one month’s advance to rent her shop. He claimed, however, that she was the first to reach out to him, and that the two grew intimate online, culminating in her inviting him to a resort of her choosing, for which he made the booking payment.
He acknowledged sleeping with her at the resort but flatly rejected her gang rape allegations as “totally fake.”
Nawaz claimed that the very next morning, she, whom he referred to as “Natasha,” without disclosing the name she uses publicly, began pressuring him to marry her. “She told me she had broken up twice before and said she would die by suicide if I refused to marry her. She would slit her arms, pluck her hair and bang her head against the wall to pressure me. I told her I was already married and couldn’t commit to another marital bond, but she didn’t listen,” he said.
He added that a few days later, Natasha told him her mother had seen their WhatsApp chats and was also pushing for the marriage. “She was threatening that she couldn’t live without me. What else could I have done?” he said, adding that he married her on May 28 that year at the Registrar of Marriages’ office using his original Aadhaar card, which identifies him as a Muslim.
Accused rubbishes gang rape allegations, terms wife ‘sex addict’
Nawaz categorically denied the gang rape allegations, saying his brothers had lived, partied and gone shopping with Natasha’s family after the marriage. “They all called her Vadina (bhabhi). She used to cook chicken and mutton for me and others, even though she herself was vegetarian and never ate meat. If they had done something wrong, why would she do all that,” he asked.
He placed the blame for the strained relationship largely on Natasha’s mother. “It is true that we invested in a business and suffered losses. Her mother and sisters tortured her every day, pressuring us to repay that money. I once even tried to hang myself, but Natasha, who is taller than me, held me and saved me,” he said, notably stopping short of blaming his wife directly for any of her claims. He did, however, accuse her of being a “sex addict.”
Accused demands thorough investigation, claims to have all proof
Nawaz said that worn down by the harassment from Natasha’s mother and sisters, he left their home on January 12 this year. He noted that a case had been registered against him in Bengaluru on October 14, 2025, and said that after the complaint was filed, he had travelled to Kerala before going to Vijayawada, where he stayed at Natasha’s mother’s house.
“If I was at fault, why would I come back,” he asked, demanding a thorough investigation so the truth could emerge. “I have all the evidence to prove that I’m not at fault,” he claimed.
It is worth noting that neither Natasha nor Nawaz is originally from Hyderabad, though both have been residing in the Kukatpally area. The case has come to be associated with Hyderabad owing to the locations involved in what has been described as a “love-business-breakup-alleged love lihad” case.
NCW seeks action taken report in 7 days
The full facts of the case will only emerge after a thorough investigation, as sought by the NCW, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter. In a letter to the Telangana DGP on Friday, April 10, the Commission sought a detailed action taken report within seven days.
“The incident, involving the alleged assault of a newlywed woman by persons closest to her, constitutes a grave violation of dignity, bodily autonomy, and the sanctity of marriage. The Commission has strongly condemned this reprehensible act and expressed deep concern over such brutality,” the NCW said in its directive.
