Kerala man arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly cheating woman under pretext of marriage

A 30-year-old man was arrested by the Govindpura police on the charges of cheating a woman by promising marriage, sexually assaulting her, and pressurising her to terminate pregnancies.

The accused, identified as Bilal Rafeeq, a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, worked as a mechanic in the Merchant Navy. He was arrested following a complaint filed by the woman, who is from Uttarakhand and works as a nurse at a Bengaluru hospital.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), the woman befriended Mr. Rafeeq on Instagram in 2021, which led to frequent phone conversations. Over time, they developed a relationship. However, the woman alleged that despite her resistance, Mr Rafeeq forced her into a sexual relationship. In both 2022 and 2023, she became pregnant and was allegedly forced by Mr. Rafeeq to undergo abortions.

The situation worsened when, as according to the FIR, Mr. Rafeeq allegedly continued to have forced sexual encounters with the woman during her stay in a paying guest facility from February to April 2024. She became pregnant for the third time during this period.

The victim further stated that this August, her parents provided Mr. Rafeeq with cash and valuables, following his family’s acceptance of the marriage proposal. However, in September, Mr. Rafeeq’s parents reportedly subjected her to caste-based abuse, withdrew their approval, and threatened her.

A case has been filed against Mr Rafeeq under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and sexual assault, as well as under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation is ongoing, police officials said.

Published - October 10, 2024 07:00 am IST