The Hyderabad police have registered a case against a Dubai-based NRI for allegedly tricking a woman into having sexual relations with him.

According to a complaint lodged with the police on Thursday, the accused – Safdar Abbas Kaleem Akthar Abid Zaidi (29) – deserted the woman after being in a sexual relationship with her for over four years. Zaidi had allegedly promised to marry the complainant.

“We registered a case under sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. An investigation is on,” said Malkajgiri police inspector Janaki Reddy.

Police said Zaidi, who hails from Darulshifa in the Old City, had been in a relationship with the 26-year-old woman – who hails from the Hindu community – for the last four years. “They earlier worked together at a prominent software company in Somajiguda. The accused went to Dubai in early 2014, and the complainant followed him a few months later. Relatives from both sides consented to their marriage last year. However, they broke off their relationship a few months ago,” Reddy said.

The complaint states that the woman converted to Islam soon after she reached Dubai. “Later, Zaidi began pressuring her to follow Islamic norms and customs. This led to disputes between the two, and the accused finally refused to marry her. She returned to Hyderabad a few days ago,” the police officer said.

Hyder, Zaidi’s uncle, said the family came to know about their relationship last January. “We consented to the marriage because my nephew was interested in her. We then met the woman’s family members, who also favoured the marriage. There was no talk of conversion at all, and we do not know when and how that happened. In fact, they were staying at separate hostels in Dubai,” he claimed.

Hyder said the two families had even begun preparations for conducting the wedding at Nampally in April. “However, my nephew called us up in November to say that the marriage cannot happen because the two were always quarrelling. We don’t know what happened there,” he added.