BHOPAL: A 21-year-old, who has been booked for the rape of a minor in the past, was stalking and harassing a 22-year-old girl for nearly 8 months. He was arrested on Saturday. The accused allegedly barged into the woman’s home and shared her photographs on a social media platform in a desperate attempt to stop the woman’s wedding. He also issued death threats to the girl’s brothers.
Police said the girl met the accused around 7-8 months ago. During their initial acquaintance, he reportedly captured several photographs of the woman. However, as his criminal nature became apparent, the woman attempted to distance herself. The boy responded with intimidation, even visiting her house to threaten her brothers’ lives, which led the woman to completely sever all communication with him.The harassment escalated to a dangerous level once the accused learned that the woman’s family finalised her marriage to another man. On the night of Feb 13, just days before the wedding, he forcibly entered the survivor’s home. He confronted her brother, aggressively asserting that he would not permit the marriage to proceed. When the family resisted, the accused brutally assaulted the brother, hurled abuses, and issued death threats before fleeing the scene. Later on Saturday, Meena used his Instagram account to upload and circulate the woman’s photographs, aiming to tarnish her reputation and break the engagement. Eintkhedi SHO Ashish Sapre revealed that the accused is a seasoned criminal with four prior cases on his record, including the rape of a minor.Following a strategic raid, the police nabbed the accused in the Eintkhedi township. He was charged under the Information Technology (IT) Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and multiple sections of the BNS for assault and criminal intimidation. After being produced before the court on Saturday, the accused was remanded to judicial custody and sent to jail.
