Karnataka HC Denies Bail to Man Accused of Rape and Forced Conversion

The Karnataka High Court denied bail plea of Rafiq, a man accused of confining, raping, and forcing a married woman to convert to Islam.

Justice S. Rachaiah rejected Rafiq’s bail application and emphasized the court’s role in regulating forced conversions and protecting the underprivileged.

According to the court order, Rafiq had befriended a married woman from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, promising her a job in Belgavi. Once there, he threatened, raped her multiple times, confined her to a room, and coerced her into converting to Islam.

The woman eventually escaped and reported the incident to her husband, who then approached the police. Rafiq was arrested and charged under the Indian Penal Code, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022.

Rafiq sought bail from the High Court after his application was rejected by a trial court.

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