Cloth merchant arrested four days ahead of his scheduled marriage

Police said the man, identified as Anas Qureshi, a resident of Nagpada, had been dating the 30-year-old woman since 2010, but finalised marriage with another woman. When the girlfriend came to know of the marriage through a social media post, she approached the police.

MUMBAI: A 30-year-old cloth merchant was arrested by the Nagpada police on Thursday - four days ahead of his scheduled marriage - following a complaint lodged by his girlfriend. He has been booked for establishing sexual relations with the girlfriend with false inducements.

The police said the man, identified as Anas Qureshi, a resident of Nagpada, had been dating the 30-year-old woman since 2010, but finalised marriage with another woman. When the girlfriend came to know of the marriage through a social media post uploaded by the man’s relative, she approached the police. (Shutterstock)

The police said the man, identified as Anas Qureshi, a resident of Nagpada, had been dating the 30-year-old woman since 2010, but finalised marriage with another woman. When the girlfriend came to know of the marriage through a social media post uploaded by the man’s relative, she approached the police. Based on her complaint, police registered a rape case against the merchant and arrested him.

“In April 2025, Anas told the complainant that they will get married in August 2025, and accordingly she started the preparations. However, Anas kept delaying the marriage under one pretext or the other,” said an officer from Nagpada Police Station. “Later, the complainant learnt from a social media post that he was about to marry another woman on January 20 2026. So, she approached us.”

The case has been registered under sections 69 (sexual intercourse not amounting to rape, where consent is obtained by deceitful means, including a false promise to marry made without the intention to fulfil it) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

“Anas had approached court to allow him to go ahead with his marriage. However, we have come to know that the woman he was engaged to is not willing to marry him now after coming to know about his past relationship,” said the police officer.