Nuh: Man held for sexual assault, filming act, extorting Punjab woman

Police say victim lured on promise of marriage, sexually abused victim over several days; FIR includes intimidation, extortion and religious conversion charges.

A Nuh resident has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman from Punjab, filming a video of the incident and trying to extort money out of her, said police on Sunday. The victim has also accused the man of religious conversion.

Accused met victim on social media, called her to Nuh, filmed sexual assault and threatened to post videos; sent to judicial custody for 15 days. (File photo)

Based on a complaint filed by the woman, police registered a first information report (FIR) under sections 69 (sexual assault), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as section 12 of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2022.

They arrested the accused, aged 19, from Nuh on Saturday.

“Following the complaint by the woman, we have arrested the accused and presented him in court for all the alleged crimes. Charges under the Haryana Religious Unlawful Conversion Act have been added in the case,” said Ferozepur Jhirka station house officer (SHO) Kuldeep Singh.

According to police, citing the woman’s complaint, the accused befriended the woman, 24, through social media nearly a year ago. The woman, who works as a caretaker with a private firm in Chandigarh, alleged that the two remained in contact before the accused lured her to Nuh on the promise of marriage.

Police said the accused had allegedly called her around 15 days ago and told her that he would marry her on Eid. On March 20, she travelled from Punjab to the his village. There, the accused allegedly took her to a hotel to eat, where he sexually assaulted in a room. He also recorded a video of the assault and used it to blackmail the victim.

After this, the accused allegedly to her to his house and, between March 20 and March 24, the accused sexually assaulted the woman multiple times, the police said.

He also allegedly demanded money from her, threatening to upload the videos of the assault to social media if she refused. She was coerced into paying around ₹1 lakh.

The complainant also alleged that the accused pressured her to convert her religion and, when she resisted, assaulted her and forced her out of the house on Saturday.

She subsequently approached the police and filed a complaint. Officials said the accused is being questioned and has been sent to judicial custody for 15 days after being produced in a local court on Sunday.