'When I told him I was pregnant, he punched me in the stomach'

Deepak Nikalje

She was 18, and had just wanted some financial assistance to study engineering, so she could give her family a better life. She was grateful when that aid came from Deepak Nikalje, local politician and brother of notorious gangster Chhota Rajan. What she couldn't have known was how many ways he would make her pay for help over the next four years.

Representational pictures

Now 22 years old, the survivor narrated her ordeal to the police, recalling how the 51-year-old allegedly forced himself on her repeatedly over the years, claiming he was going to marry her. When she was diagnosed with cancer in her uterus, he continued to insist on sex. Most shocking was the brutal thrashing he gave her when she told him she was pregnant, punching her so hard in the stomach that she ended up losing the baby.

Chhota Rajan

As per her statement, she hails from a modest background; her father is a security guard and her mother is a housewife. Kavita was the oldest of three children, and wanted to lift her family out of poverty. She had dreams of becoming an engineer, and in 2014, a family friend advised her to ask for assistance from Nikalje, who is a leader from the RPI (A) and the brother of gangster Rajendra Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan.

When the survivor and her mother met Nikalje at his bungalow in Chheda Nagar, he took her mobile number. He told her not to worry about fees, and said she could contact him any time. "Later, I noticed that my phone had received a recharge of Rs 500. When I asked him whether he had recharged my phone, he said yes. After that, he started calling me," she told the police.

Nikalje would call her as often as 25 times a day. "In November 2014, he took me to Raigad, to his friend's farmhouse. There, he tried to take advantage of me. I strongly resisted his advances, but then he said that he was having trouble with his wife, and was getting a divorce," she said.

Fighting cancer
After that, Nikalje took her to various places where he would have his way with her, promising that he would marry her one day. In July 2015, she began to experience pain in her private parts. A check-up revealed that she had uterine cancer. When she told Nikalje about this, he gave her money for cancer therapy, but throughout the treatment, he still expected her to submit to his sexual advances. "He knew I had cancer, but he still demanded sex throughout the treatment," the survivor said.

In October 2015, she got pregnant. "When I told him I was pregnant, he punched me in the stomach, which resulted in a miscarriage," she recalled, adding, "'After that, he kept calling me to meet him. I was in debt, and knew his family background, so I couldn't refuse." Every time she asked him about marriage, Nikalje would dodge the question. Earlier this month, she finally went to his home, to demand an answer. His family members threw her out of his house.

Death threats
On March 17, Nikalje's sister allegedly went to the survivor's house and threatened her family, and warned her. "You don't know how dangerous we are. We'll cut you into pieces and dump your body." For four years, the survivor never spoke of her ordeal to anyone. But the threat to her life and family prompted her to approach the Tilak Nagar police and register a complaint. The Tilak Nagar police registered an FIR against Nikalje under Sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC. The case was then transferred to the Panvel taluka police station. Yesterday, the accused's application for anticipatory bail was moved to Alibaug court, where the matter will be held till March 31. Despite attempts to contact Nikalje, who is still abroad, he remained unavailable for comment.

4
No. of years Deepak Nikalje allegedly raped her

3
No. of years she has been battling uterine cancer

Also Read: Chhota Rajan's brother Deepak Nikalje booked for rape

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