Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by her childhood friend, whom she had reconnected with on social media after 10 years.
The accused had promised to marry her but exploited her sexually on New Year’s Day under the jurisdiction of Parwalia police station. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused, police said.
According to reports, the woman, who works at a showroom, told police that she met Hridesh Prajapati on Instagram last year.
Hridesh, a cab driver, reminded her that they were classmates in high school. The two soon rekindled their friendship, which later turned into a romantic relationship.
Hridesh assured the woman that he would marry her soon. On January 1, under the pretext of celebrating the New Year, he took her in his cab and allegedly raped her.
He continued to sexually exploit her on multiple occasions afterwards. However, when the woman began pressing him for marriage, Hridesh started avoiding her. The victim then approached Parwalia police and lodged an FIR against him.
Another Instagram rape case
In a separate case, a 24-year-old woman was befriended by Vinay Jatav on Instagram. He lured her with promises of marriage and raped her at a hotel under Aishbagh police station in November 2024. Police said the accused has been arrested and sent to jail.
