Mumbai: The Oshiwara police arrested the astrologer on Monday, who had accused television actor-singer Karan Oberoi of rape and extortion. Police said the arrest was made after it was proven she had orchestrated an attack on herself shortly after the initial FIR was filed. She has been booked under relevant sections of the IPC.
According to police sources, the astrologer was arrested from her home in Andheri for orchestrating an attack on herself only to frame Oberoi for the crime. On May 25, the 34-year-old astrologer was allegedly attacked by two bike-borne men near Joggers Park at Andheri (W).
She had claimed that the biker and pillion rider slashed her arm and threatened her with a note which read, “Take the case back”. Accordingly, a case was registered against the two men.
On May 27, police arrested four men for attacking the woman and investigation revealed that one of these two accused was a cousin of the astrologer’s lawyer.
The attackers were allegedly paid Rs10,000 to slash the woman’s arm and throw a threat note. Police suspected the lawyer, Ali Kashif Khan of staging the attack, however when the lawyer surrendered to the police, he said the woman had hired his cousin. After the lawyer’s role in the attack was ruled out by the police, the woman accused Khan of framing her.
Police began investigating the case keeping in mind the astrologer’s role in staging an attack, said a source. Shailesh Pasalwad, a senior inspector of Oshiwara police station said, “Based on the statements recorded of the attackers, woman’s lawyer and circumstantial evidence, the astrologer was arrested on Monday afternoon. She had been travelling in and out of the city for a month or so, which delayed the arrest.”
The astrologer has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means (324) and criminal intimidation (506-2).
The astrologer had filed an FIR against Oberoi at Oshiwara Police Station in Mumbai on May 6. In it, she had alleged that Oberoi had duped her under the pretext of marrying her and had raped her, filmed the act and threatened to release the video unless she paid him the money he demanded. Oberoi was arrested and sent to police custody on May 6 and was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on June 7.
