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A cleric from Ajmer has been taken into custody after Rapar police in Kutch accused him of officiating the marriage and conversion of a minor, following a complaint filed this month by the girl’s family. Authorities say the case involves serious sexual-offence and child-protection provisions, and could test enforcement of Gujarat’s anti-conversion rules.
The family approached the Rapar police on June 12, reporting that a 27-year-old local man had taken their daughter away on the pretext of marriage and had intimate relations with her multiple times. Police say the man was arrested the next day and that investigators soon traced the cleric to Ajmer, where he was detained on June 15.
According to the police, the girl was taken to the Ajmer dargah last year and a religious ceremony—described by officials as a nikah—was performed on July 21, 2025. Investigators recovered a register kept by the cleric that recorded the girl’s age as 21, even though she is a minor, the superintendent of police for Kachchh East, Sagar Bagmar, told reporters.
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What the police say
Rapar investigators allege the man lured the girl with promises of marriage and that the cleric conducted the matrimonial ritual after the pair reached Ajmer. The document recovered at the dargah also contains a written statement attributed to the girl in which she reportedly said she was willing to convert. Police note that willingness does not negate legal protections where a minor is involved.
- Timeline: Family complaint filed June 12; male accused arrested June 13; Ajmer cleric detained June 15.
- Alleged ceremony: Nikah and conversion recorded on July 21, 2025, according to the cleric’s register.
- Documentary evidence: Marriage register listing the girl’s age as 21 despite her being underage.
Charges and legal framework
Police have registered an FIR invoking multiple statutes. Charges include aggravated rape and kidnapping of a minor, provisions addressing sexual intercourse where consent is legally invalid, sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and clauses of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021. Investigations are continuing to determine the full sequence of events and any additional culpability.
The combination of sexual-offence and anti-conversion statutes means the case will likely involve coordinated inquiries across jurisdictions: local investigators in Kutch and officials in Ajmer are exchanging evidence, including the cleric’s register and witness statements.
Why this matters now
The recent arrests revive broader concerns about safeguarding minors and the application of conversion laws. For residents in the region, the case underscores how allegations that cross state lines—here, from Rapar to Ajmer—can complicate both criminal and religious-legal questions. It also highlights procedural issues investigators face when documentary records appear to misstate a victim’s age.
Police stress that the probe remains active and that further charges or detentions are possible as they verify timelines, interview witnesses and examine digital or travel records related to the trip to Ajmer.
Suggested headline (TOI style): Ajmer cleric arrested after Rapar family alleges nikah, conversion of minor; accused man also held
