Man held for rape on pretext of marriage

The Solan police have arrested a 34-year-old man from Chamba, currently residing in the Deonghat area of Solan, for allegedly raping a woman under the false promise of marriage. The accused, Mukul Dev, was produced before a local court on Tuesday as police sought his remand for further probe.

The Solan SP said the case originated with a zero FIR filed at the Women Police Station in Mataur on April 9. According to the complaint, the victim befriended Mukul Dev in 2023 through Instagram. Their friendship soon developed into a relationship and both agreed to get married. Mukul allegedly called the woman to Deonghat, where he was living in a rented room and claimed that he had convinced his parents about their marriage.

On the assurance that they would marry after a year, the woman met him multiple times at his residence, during which they developed physical relations. However, complications arose in November 2024 when the woman became pregnant and informed Mukul. Instead of supporting her, he denied paternity, stopped answering her calls, and later began threatening and blackmailing her, allegedly attempting to defame her. The woman subsequently filed a complaint under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Acting on the FIR, the Women Police Station in Solan arrested Mukul Dev.