E-Paper
Ludhiana: Haryana transwoman alleges rape, ₹22 lakh extortion; 3 booked
According to the complainant, the accused raped her multiple times in different hotels of Ludhiana and later started harassing her; she claimed the accused took money from her on multiple occasions
A Ludhiana resident has been booked for allegedly raping a transwoman, who went through a gender reassignment surgery, on the pretext of marriage, police said. According to the complainant, the accused raped her multiple times in different hotels of Ludhiana and later started harassing her. The complainant also accused the man of extorting ₹22 lakh and some jewellery by blackmailing her.
The Faridabad police registered a zero FIR against the accused and sent the same to Ludhiana for further action. The accused has been identified as Taranpal Singh Monga of Basant Avenue. The police also booked his brother Davinderpal Singh Monga and cousin Gurkaran Singh alias Harjee for abusing and harassing the complainant.
The 25-year-old complainant, a resident of Haryana’s Faridabad, said she met Taranpal through a social networking site on March 17, 2024. On March 21, 2024 the accused sought a relationship and promised to marry her, she mentioned. The accused later started extorting money from her on the pretext of initiating a business to facilitate their nuptial bond. She kept on sending him money without knowing his intentions, she mentioned in her complaint.
Further, the complainant alleged that the accused established physical relations with her in separate hotels in Ludhiana. The accused extorted ₹22 lakh from her on different occasions. According to her, his attitude later changed entirely and he started abusing her over her gender. The complainant further alleged that the brother and cousin of the accused joined him in harassing and abusing her. “The accused morphed pictures of her and her mother which they posted on several social media networks to defame them,” the complaint stated.
ASI Salwainder Singh, who is investigating the case, stated that the FIR has been registered following a zero FIR registered by the Faridabad police. The accused have been booked under Sections 64 (2) (M) ( rape repeatedly on the same woman), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 316 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal Intimidation), 79 (criminalises acts intended to insult a woman’s modesty, including words, sounds, gestures, or exhibiting objects), 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS. A hunt is on for the arrest of the accused.
