Mumbai police have registered a case against a 29-year-old man from Mumbai, currently pursuing his PhD in the United States, for allegedly committing acts of sexual abuse, threats, and causing physical harm to a 31-year-old woman. The woman, also studying in the US, was reportedly lured into these acts with a false promise of marriage. Officials stated that the accused is a resident of Lower Parel, while the victim hails from Mahim.
The father of the accused holds a significant position in a private bank. The alleged offenses took place over a span of more than five months, between January 1 and June 12, in a luxury hotel in Bandra and also in the USA. The matter came to light when the victim lodged a complaint at the Bandra police station.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused, a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), met the victim through a contact related to a marriage proposal. After several meetings, the accused allegedly asked the victim to book a hotel room in Bandra to discuss “important things in life.” During their meeting at the hotel, the accused is said to have sexually abused her. The abuse reportedly continued even when they were both in the US.
The FIR further states that the victim became suspicious after seeing the accused interacting with other women regarding his marriage. When she confronted him, a dispute arose, during which the accused allegedly assaulted and verbally abused her. He also threatened to make her private photos public and harm her physically. Following these incidents, the victim confided in her mother and subsequently reported the matter to the Mumbai Police.
A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those pertaining to sexual intercourse by deceitful means, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation. The police are currently investigating the case.