Thane woman alleges torture, rape by man she befriended on social media; 6 booked

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The police on Tuesday said a man from Thane district in Maharashtra allegedly raped a 27-year-old woman, compelled her to marry him after blackmailing her and also burnt her with cigarette buts and hot 'tawa', reported news agency PTI.

The ordeal started four years back after they became friends on social media, and police have now registered an FIR against the 38-year-old man and five of his family members, including mother, based on the victim's complaint, they said, reported PTI.

The accused, a resident of Ulhasnagar town here, became friends with the victim, also a local resident, on Facebook in 2021. He later allegedly took her to a lodge in the town and raped her, an official from Vitthalwadi police station said, reported PTI.

The accused made an objectionable video of the victim, threatened to upload it online if she refused his advances and raped her on multiple occasions, he said quoting the victim's complaint.

The victim was later forced to marry the man following which he and his mother took her to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh where they cut her hair and eyebrows and held her captive in a house, the police said, reported PTI.

The man also allegedly singed the victim with cigarette buts and he and his mother hit her with a hot 'tawa', causing severe injuries to her, the official said.

The accused also took away her Aadhaar and PAN cards as well as bank passbooks and misused her documents to avail loans, he said, reported PTI.

They also threatened to upload her objectionable video online if she did not fulfil their demand for money from her father, the official said.

The woman lodged a police complaint on Sunday, following which a case was registered against the man and his five family members under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 64 (2) (m) (repeated rape), 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 87 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc), 118(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 308(5) (extortion).

No arrest has been made so far, the police said, adding a probe was on into the case.

(With inputs from PTI)