Thane, March 9 A 20-year-old tailor has been arrested in the Thane district on charges of raping a minor girl and attempting to force her into marriage after the interfaith wedding was disrupted by Hindutva activists, an official said on Monday.
The accused, a resident of Shantinagar in Bhiwandi, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, for rape and criminal intimidation, as the alleged crime occurred when the IPC was in effect.
According to Dombivli Police, the accused tailor and the victim, a first-year BA student from a college in Dombivli, became friends through social media when they were minors. This friendship eventually turned into a relationship.
On March 6, she travelled to Bhiwandi to marry the accused according to Muslim customs. The accused is alleged to have made all arrangements, including the presence of a Qazi and witnesses, police said.
However, activists from a Hindutva organization reached the venue and staged a massive protest against the interfaith union, leading to a commotion.
The matter was initially taken to the Shantinagar police station in Bhiwandi. However, as the victim resides in Dombivli, the case was transferred to the Vishnunagar police station.
"Based on a complaint filed by the victim, a case has been registered against Armaan Sheikh for blackmailing and rape. The complainant alleged that she was pressured and blackmailed into the marriage," said Assistant Commissioner of Police Suhas Hemade.
The victim alleged in her complaint that the accused had established physical relations with her earlier and subsequently attempted to force her into marriage once she turned 18.
Further investigations are underway.