Police have registered a case against a 29-year-old Mumbai resident pursuing a PhD in the United States for allegedly sexually assaulting, threatening, and physically harming a 31-year-old woman, also studying in the US, under the false pretext of marriage. According to officials, the accused hails from Lower Parel, while the victim is a resident of Mahim. Authorities added that the accused’s father holds a senior position in a private bank. The alleged offences occurred over five months, between January 1 and June 12, at a luxury hotel in Bandra and also during their stay in the US.
The case came to light after the victim recently approached Bandra Police and lodged a formal complaint. According to the FIR, the accused, a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), met the woman through a marriage contact. After several meetings, he persuaded her to book a room at a Bandra hotel to discuss “important matters,” where he allegedly assaulted her. The FIR also stated that the accused continued to sexually abuse her during their time together in the US.
The victim later discovered that the accused was chatting with other women about marriage, and when she confronted him, he allegedly beat and verbally abused her. The FIR mentioned that he also threatened to leak her private photos and set her on fire. Distressed, the woman confided in her mother and, after gaining confidence, filed a police complaint. Based on her statement, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sexual intercourse by deceitful means, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation. An investigation is currently underway.