Popular Bihar-based comedian and YouTuber Mani Meraj was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police from Bihar following a complaint of rape and forced religious conversion filed by his girlfriend. he was arrested on Saturday night from his friend's house in Patna's Anisabad area.
ACP Indirapuram, Abhishek Srivastava said, the case was filed by his girlfriend, Vandana, who is known online as Vannu the Great, at Khoda police station in Uttar Pradesh, alleging rape and harassment. She claimed that Meraj fraudulently pressured her into marrying him and converting to another religion. Acting on the complaint, Khoda Police from Uttar Pradesh traced Mani Meraj to arrested him.
Mani Meraj forces Vandana for abortion, religious coercion
As per the reports, Vandana alleged that Meraj raped her after giving her a sedative in a drink and lured her into a relationship with the promise of marriage. She said that after they got married, Meraj instructed her to keep the marriage secret.
She also accused him of coercing her into an abortion, pressuring her to convert to Islam, and forcing her to eat beef. Vandana claimed that Meraj siphoned off a lakh of rupees from her.
Later, she discovered that Meraj was already married with two children and was involved in other relationships simultaneously.
Who is Mani Meraj?
Mani Meraj is a well-known YouTuber and comedian, famous for his Bhojpuri-language comedy sketches. Originally from Sahebganj block in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, he has a huge online following, with over 10 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 7 million followers on Instagram.
Recently, Meraj expanded into Bhojpuri cinema, making his acting debut alongside Vandana in the film 'Welcome,' released earlier this year. His YouTube videos consistently attract large audiences; his most recent upload, about four months ago, has over 14 million views, while his content generally receives 30–40 million views per video, and several of his music album tracks have surpassed 100 million views.
In addition to comedy, Meraj has also worked as a Bhojpuri cricket commentator, covering major events like the IPL and the Champions Trophy.
Before entering the entertainment industry, he ran a small chicken shop in his hometown. Over the years, he has become one of the most recognised digital creators in Bihar, gaining fame for his relatable content and entertaining style.
(Input: Zuber Akhtar)
