Man held for sexually exploiting woman

Abohar, August 26

A 24-year-old resident of Achadiki village, 32 km from here, has been arrested. A 30-year-old resident of Sriganganagar alleged he had been sexually exploiting her after the death of her husband on the pretext of marriage. She said he had also been blackmailing her after making a video.

The police said the suspect, Gurjinder Singh (24), was held after investigating the victim’s complaint.

Investigating police official Prithvipal Singh said Gurjinder Singh had been working as a driver in Sriganganagar and also studied at a coaching centre. He said Gurjinder befriended another driver and started visiting the latter’s house. The latter died on September 30, 2023.

A few days after his friend’s death, Gurjinder reportedly entered into an illicit relationship with his friend’s wife. On July 14, the woman filed a complaint against Gurjinder Singh and accused him of exploiting her under the pretext of marriage. The victim said that after the death of her husband, Gurjinder started showing sympathy and growing closer, claiming that he was unmarried and would marry her.

The victim alleged that Gurjinder took Rs 50,000 on the pretext of a marriage in court. On April 18, he called her to Gol Bazar on the pretext of preparing marriage documents. He took her to a hotel, kept her there for two to three days, and sexually abused her.

According to the police, the victim came to know that Gurjinder Singh was in a relationship with a girl from his village. This led to a dispute between them. When the victim pressed him for marriage, Gurjinder switched off his mobile phone.

Gurjinder disappeared with a girl from his village on July 10. The victim woman learnt that he had married another girl from his village in court and then took her to a relative’s house in Deon Khera village in Fazilka district.

When held, Gurjinder told the police that he had promised to marry a girl from his village. He could not explain why he continued sexually exploiting his friend’s widow by deceiving her.