Uttar Pradesh: Intekhab Haider arrested for rape and blackmail of a Hindu woman and forcing her to convert, victim’s friend Reena Bano already arrested for helping the accused
In Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, a 24-year-old Hindu woman was allegedly raped by a man named Intekhab Haider with the help of her own Muslim friend, Reena Bano. On 15th July 2025, the police arrested main accused Haider, a resident of Karaeli police station area in Prayagraj.
The other accused Reena Bano was already arrested earlier and have been remanded to judicial custody.
As reported earlier, the victim said that she was raped, blackmailed and was being pressured to convert to Islam. The nightmare for the victim started in December 2024 and continued for months, leaving her scared and helpless.
The Hindu victim and her ‘friend’ Reena Bano both attend the ITI college of Hardoi, and the girl met Reena at college. They soon became friends and began to hang out with each other like good friends do. But things went dark when Reena asked her to visit her home in the Lohani near the Pihani police station. Upon arrival, Reena led her to a room where Haider, Reena’s relative from Prayagraj, was already inside.
As soon as she entered, Reena slipped out and closed the door. Haider also had a gun, and he said that if she uttered a word, he would kill her, and then he raped her. He also recorded the entire incident on his phone. The girl cried out for help, but nobody came. When Reena returned, Reena and Haider started blackmailing her and warned that they would show the video to her family and put it on the internet if she did not obey them. This blackmail went on for seven months.
Finally, after seven months, on 11th July, 2025, she visited Shahabad police station and complained, revealing everything regarding the rape, blackmail, and coercion to convert.
Based on the victim’s complaint, the accused were booked by Shahabad Police under sections 127 (2) (wrongful confinement), 64(1) (rape), 61(2) (a) (criminal conspiracy), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of BNS and section 3/5 (3) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
In a press release detailing the matter, Hardoi Police said, “On 11.07.2025, the victim gave a complaint at Police Station Shahabad that the she was taken to her house by her friend Reena Bano daughter of Hafizullah resident of Mohammad Lohani Police Station Shahabad District Hardoi where a young man named Haider (who is a resident of Allahabad and had come to his in-laws’ house in Mohalla Lohani Police Station Pihani) present at their house, did wrong to the plaintiff and the above accused Haider and Reena Bano pressured the plaintiff to convert her religion. In this regard, on the basis of the complaint of the plaintiff, FIR No. 478/25 under Section 127 (2) / 64 (1) / 61 (2) (a) / 351 (3) BNS and 3/5 (3) Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act vs. Haider and Reena Bano above has been registered at Police Station Shahabad.”
Informing about the accused perpetrator’s arrest, Hardoi Police said, “The named accused Intekhab Haider alias Haider son of Babar, resident of Gangajal Sultanpur Bhava Police Station Karaili District Prayagraj, has been arrested as per rules by Police Station Shahabad. Necessary legal action is underway.”
Notably, co-accused Reena Bano has already been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
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