Online dating mai fasaya fir..: 38-year-old man faces heinous charges of repeated abuse

Maharashtra: A harrowing case has emerged from Maharashtra's Thane district where a 38-year-old man allegedly raped, blackmailed, and tortured a woman he befriended on Facebook. The victim, a 27-year-old woman, filed a police complaint on Sunday detailing her ordeal, which began in 2021. The accused, along with five family members, faces charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

A web of deception and violence

The police have stated that the accused, a resident of Ulhasnagar, had befriended the woman on Facebook and taken her to a lodge, where he raped her. He recorded the crime and used it as a bargaining chip to compel her into submission. He, according to police, raped her repeatedly over the years, got her married and shifted her to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, where she faced further torture.

Torture and exploitation in Gwalior

The victim stated that the accused and his mother tortured her after forcing her into marriage. They shaved off her hair and eyebrows and kept her under their captivity. She also sustained burns from cigarette ends and a hot 'tawa'. The torture inflicted severe injuries, leaving her with physical and mental scars.

Economic exploitation and extortion

She reportedly had the accused confiscate her identification documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, and passbooks from all banks. The accused used all this to acquire loans in her name. According to the victim, the accused and his family further intimidated her into sending money demands to her father by stating that they would post the explicit video if she failed to comply. 

Legal proceedings are ongoing

The lady, according to a complaint with the police, has a case registered under several sections of BNS such as repeated rape, assault, kidnapping and extortion charges. No arrests have been made till now as the investigation is ongoing.

Troubling pattern of sexual violence in Thane

This is just one of the shocking cases reported from Thane recently. In another case, a special POCSO court sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 8-year-old niece in 2020. Meanwhile, a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teen girl in 2019 was acquitted after the victim claimed they were consensually married.