Love Jihad in Mumbai: Mohammad Faiz accused of blackmailing Hindu woman and pressuring her to convert to Islam

The family is seeking police action against Faiz, alleging that the relationship and nikah involved coercion and religious conversion under pressure. The allegations have brought renewed attention to concerns surrounding cases of what is described as ‘Love Jihad’ in Maharashtra.

NewsBharati    13-Nov-2026 15:08:46 PM
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A 22-year-old Hindu woman from Mumbai is at the centre of a religious conversion and marriage controversy, with allegations that Mohammad Faiz Akbar Khan blackmailed her and pressured her to embrace Islam.
 
Documents shared on social media in connection with the case show that the couple registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act on October 16, followed by a Nikah ceremony announced for November 6.

Mumbai Love Jihad
(Feature image made using AI, with the original copies of the certificate and marriage invitation)
 
Marriage certificate and nikah invitation
 
The matter concerns Mohammad Faiz Akbar Khan, son of Akbar Khan, and Shravani Nilesh Rane, daughter of Nilesh Rane. A marriage certificate issued by the Government of Maharashtra records that the two appeared before the Marriage Officer, Mumbai Suburban, and solemnised their marriage under Section 11 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, on October 16, 2026.
 
 
A separate wedding invitation announces the Nikah ceremony of Mohammad Faiz and Shravani, who is referred to as “Ayesha” in the invitation. The ceremony was scheduled for November 6, 2026, at Amin Nagar in Jogeshwari East, Mumbai.
 
These two documents show how Shravani Rane had to convert to Islam and become Ayesha to get married to Faiz.
 
Allegations of blackmail and religious conversion
 
According to the allegations raised in the matter, Faiz had trapped the 22-year-old woman, blackmailed her and pressured her to convert to Islam before proceeding with the Nikah.
 
The family is seeking police action against Faiz, alleging that the relationship and nikah involved coercion and religious conversion under pressure. The allegations have brought renewed attention to concerns surrounding cases of what is described as ‘Love Jihad’ in Maharashtra.
 
There have been many cases following the similar patterns where Hindu women had been intentionally trapped and targeted to get married to a Muslim man, in order to get them converted to Islam.
 
Demand for action under Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act
 
The matter has been brought to the attention of Meghwadi Police Station in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. The family members of the woman are seeking Faiz's arrest and action under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026.
 
The legislation, which came into force on August 28, 2026, prohibits religious conversion obtained through force, fraud, coercion, misrepresentation, inducement and other unlawful means. It also contains provisions dealing with conversion linked to marriage or a promise of marriage.
 
The law does not criminalise an interfaith marriage or a voluntary change of religion. Its provisions concern conversions carried out through the prohibited means specified in the Act.
 
Similar cases from the past
 
Maharashtra has witnessed other disturbing cases involving similar allegations.
 
In Solapur, police registered a case in February 2026 after a 16-year-old girl alleged that she had been blackmailed with private photographs, sexually assaulted and forced into conversion and marriage; three of the five accused were arrested.
 
In Mumbai, a 20-year-old woman accused Arif Sheikh, who introduced himself as “Shiva Rathod”, of concealing his identity, sexually assaulting her, blackmailing her and pressuring her to convert to Islam. Police registered an FIR following her complaint.
 
In another case in Nagpur, a woman alleged that she was drugged, sexually assaulted, blackmailed and pressured into conversion and Nikah; the Indian Express reported that two accused had been arrested.
 
These cases raise serious questions about the exploitation of women through deception, sexual abuse and coercion.