The Worli police have booked a 42-year-old businessman for allegedly raping a Madhya Pradesh-based woman on the pretext of marriage as well as demanding and accepting dowry. His family members, including parents and a sister, have also been named in the FIR. They own a garment business in Mumbai.
According to police officials, the victim, 39, lives in Mehar in the Sagar district and met the accused, Ujwal Goenka, in 2017 through a matrimony website. After their families met, the duo got engaged in a ceremony at home. Subsequently, Goenka frequently invited the woman to his house and even took her to a resort in Lonavala where he raped her, said the police.
The victim said that the accused continuously postponed the wedding date, reasoning that his family was ill-treated by her kin. She alleged that the Goenkas demanded 11 gold coins during the engagement. Before the wedding day, they wanted Rs50 lakh in cash and a four-wheeler worth Rs25 lakh, she said, adding that they somehow managed to give assets worth Rs4-5 lakh. However, their demands kept increasing, the police said, adding that the victim lost her father, while the issue was ongoing.
In May this year, the woman found out that her fiancé had married someone else. He not only blocked her virtually but also failed to return the dowry, she said.
The police have also booked the businessman's parents Vinod and Asha, and his sister Dipti Sanghvi. “We have sent a notice to the parents as they are senior citizens. The main accused, Ujwal, is currently absconding. Two days before the FIR, he left for Delhi for business purposes with his wife but since then his phone has been switched off. We are looking for him,” said a senior cop.
Ujwal has been booked under sections 376 (2) (n) (repeated rape on the same woman), while his family has been charged under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code as well as and sections 3 (giving or taking dowry) and 4 (demanding dowry) of the Dowry Prevention Act.
