Mumbai: A 32-year-old tribal woman in Palghar district has alleged that she was sexually exploited on the pretext of marriage by a man from Beed who is accused of using a false Hindu identity to befriend her on social media. Police said one person has been arrested in connection with the case, while allegations against a second individual are under investigation.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) dated 8 April, filed at Kelwa Marine Police Station, the complainant, a homemaker from the Vadap area of Palghar district, stated that she came into contact with the accused on Instagram in 2025. She alleged that the two subsequently developed a close relationship.
The woman, who has been living separately from her husband since 2022 and has a son from the marriage, stated in her complaint that she received a friend request from a person identifying himself as Ajay Mhaske. She has alleged that, after a period of communication, the accused asked her to meet him at a hotel in Kelwa on 23 December 2025, where he allegedly promised to marry her. She further alleged that they engaged in physical relations during this meeting and on subsequent occasions, including on 22 February 2026 and 15 March 2026.
The complainant has stated that she later discovered that the accused had allegedly used a false identity and identified him as Raju Sikandar Shaikh, a resident of Beed district in Maharashtra. She has further alleged that the accused did not fulfil his promise of marriage.
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In her complaint, the woman has also alleged that the accused recorded intimate moments and used them to demand money, threatening to circulate the material on social media. These allegations could not be independently verified.
Local Bajrang Dal activist, Chandan Singh, who assisted the complainant in approaching the police have claimed that the accused's wife was also involved in the alleged crime. However, police officials said the role of the accused’s wife is being examined.
Police have registered an offence under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to alleged rape on the pretext of marriage. Vijaya Goswami, Assistant Police Inspector at Kelwa Police Station, said that one accused has been arrested and that further investigation is ongoing.
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