Phagwara astrologer used voice-changing software to rape wife's friend, arrested

A well-known astrologer of Phagwara, Abhishek Rawal, has been accused of blackmailing and repeatedly raping a married woman, who is a mother of three children.

The city police have registered a case under Sections 376, 384 and 506 of the IPC against the accused, Abhishek Rawal, a resident of Friends Colony, Phagwara, under charges of rape and blackmail.

In her complaint to the police, Sheela (name changed) alleged that she was a close friend of the astrologer’s wife and often met him at family gatherings. She alleged that the accused used a voice-changing software to impersonate his wife and communicated with her through phone calls and chats. Using this trick, he allegedly lured her to his shop on the pretext of shopping, where he drugged her and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. The accused also allegedly recorded an objectionable video.

When the victim regained consciousness, Rawal allegedly threatened her, claiming that he had the video of the incident. He later forced her into multiple sexual encounters at different locations by blackmailing her and threatening to harm her children. The victim further alleged that even on Holi, despite her strong refusal, the accused assaulted her again. When she finally resisted his attempts, he reportedly leaked her video on social media. The victim also claimed that Rawal, under the garb of astrology, used to collect explicit photos of innocent women. She urged the police to conduct a high-level investigation into his activities, alleging that he possessed multiple mobile phones containing objectionable material.

Meanwhile, the Phagwara police arrested the accused and produced him before a local judicial magistrate who sent him to two-day police custody for further interrogation.