The Warangal police on Friday arrested the husband of a TRS corporator for allegedly raping a 27-year-old woman by cheating her with a promise of marriage. The accused, Akuthota Shirish, was absconding for the last week. He was produced before the Additional First Class Magistrate, who sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. The police also arrested Shirish’s father for allegedly threatening the survivor with dire consequences. Shirish is the husband of the corporator from Division- 24 of the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation.
Police registered a case at the Azam Jahi Mills Police Station against Shirish on September 23 following a complaint by the survivor, who alleged that the accused called her to his house and sexually assaulted her. The police booked him under the Indian Penal Code's (IPC) Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The survivor had alleged that Shirish cheated her on the false pretext of marrying her. She also alleged that he forced her to have sex. According to the survivor, she was not aware that Shirish was already married.
According to her, Shirish also forced her to sell her land and give him the money (Rs 90 lakh), with the promise that he will invest the same in business. She told the police that Shirish also used her credit cards and gold ornaments.
The woman said after recently learning that he was already married and had a daughter, she demanded that he marry her. The accused not only rejected the demand but threatened her.
“I lent him about Rs 90 lakh to be invested in his father's businesses. He promised to return double the money soon. When I demanded the money back, Shirish ended the relationship and started harassing me. He had also raped me while I was at his house. Shirish's father abused and threatened me with dire consequences,” the survivor stated in her complaint, according to The New Indian Express.
The complainant told police that she went to his house on August 20, demanding that he at least return her money. She said Shirish and his father used abusive language against her. However, following mediation by two persons, including a news channel reporter, Shirish returned her gold ornaments.
With IANS inputs