Mumbai: A builder based in Juhu, Ruchit Shah, has been booked by the police for allegedly raping a 42-year-old woman who is a resident of Matunga. According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Matunga police station on Friday, the victim came across Shah’s profile on a dating app in February, after which they started talking to each other. They first met near Maheshwari Garden in Matunga, from where both went for a long drive in Shah’s car. During this time and for the next few weeks, Shah allegedly hid the fact that he was already married and had two children. The victim told the police that Shah had physical relations with her several times and promised to marry her.

Victim threatened by Accused’s wife

After she learned that Shah was married, he further assured her of ‘divorcing his wife and marrying the victim.’ On April 26, the victim received some messages on WhatsApp from Shah’s number and a phone call. However, the one talking to her was Shah’s wife, Meghna, who turned out to be the victim’s school friend. Meghna then allegedly repeatedly called the victim, abused her, and threatened to defame her on their school’s WhatsApp group.

By September, the victim had approached the Matunga police, but as per the victim’s lawyer, Ghanshyam Mishra, the police were ‘avoiding registering the FIR.’ On September 9, Shah called the victim and asked her to meet him in Matunga. When she refused, he allegedly threatened her not to approach the police, and if she did, he would “make a poster of her photo” and “tell everyone in Matunga about her character” – the victim said in her statement to the police. She immediately informed the police about what Shah told her. This was followed by Shah’s mother, Aarti, who messaged her with abusive and defaming words to the victim’s number and her father, who is a senior citizen.

While registering the FIR, the victim submitted all call recordings and screenshots of the text messages sent by Shah, his wife Meghna, and his mother Aarti.

“The accused are powerful people and were trying to dominate the victim in every way possible. While the police first avoided registering the case, they have now charged the accused under the relevant sections of the IPC,” advocate Mishra said.

Meanwhile, according to police sources, a team was sent to Shah’s residence in JVPD Scheme, Juhu, but they were missing.

The charges against the three accused include 420 (cheating), 376 (rape), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

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