Woman Alleges Rape, Forced Marriage in J&K’s Reasi; Accused Held

The woman further alleged that the accused has raped her many times in his shop’s basement.

A woman has accused a shopkeeper of rape, abduction and forcible marriage besides circulating her objectionable pictures on social media in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said Sunday, 19 May.

The accused and two of his friends were arrested from different locations here after the victim lodged a complaint on Saturday, a police official said, adding the search is on for one Amit Kumar, another accomplice of the accused.

He said the woman filed a written complaint at the local police station alleging that Akshit Sharma alias Akshay Magotra alias Nanu blackmailed and raped her several times over the past one year in the basement of his garment shop before abducting her for marriage.

The victim claimed that she used to visit the shop of Sharma for shopping and one day, last year, when she visited the shop he offered her a glass of water, the official said, adding the woman claimed that she became unconscious after taking the water and found herself naked in the basement of the shop after gaining consciousness.

Sharma reportedly told the woman that he has clicked her nude photos and would post them on social media "if she will not act as per his wishes", he said quoting the complainant.

The woman further alleged that since then Sharma has raped her many times in his shop's basement and the latest being on 6 April, he added.

On 25 April, the official said, Sharma along with his associates – Arvind Thakur, Ashok Singh and Amit Kumar – called the woman at Shallamar in Jammu and kidnapped her in a car.

The accused then threatened to kill the woman and her family and forcibly solemnised court marriage with her, the official said.

"Thereafter, the complainant came to know that the accused has made her nude and objectionable photographs viral on social media," he said.

The official said a case under various sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, including section 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage), and 376 (rape) besides 66E (violation of privacy) under the Information Technology Act, was registered at police station Reasi and further investigation is underway.