Couple booked for raping, blackmailing 22-year-old neighbour after spiking her drink

A 36-year-old beautician arrested for spiking neighbour's drink and recording rape to blackmail for money; manhunt launched for her husband in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: The Malwani police on Tuesday arrested a 36-year-old beautician and have launched a manhunt for her husband for allegedly spiking their neighbours’ drink and raping her. The incident was recorded by the wife and was later used to blackmail her and extort money, according to the police.

As soon as the matter came to light, Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur immediately ordered registration of an FIR and arrest of the accused ASI. (Getty Images)

The incident occurred on Sunday, when the 22-year-old woman, an event manager, was invited by the couple to their house. “They are good friends and visit each other’s house regularly. They stay a few apartments away and this was once such visit,” said the police officer.

The beautician offered the survivor a cold drink after drinking that the 22-year-old started feeling drowsy, said the police officer, adding that, “the complainant later came to know the accused had spiked her drink and then her husband had raped her, and his wife recorded it on camera and prepared a video,” said the police officer.

They later started threatening and blackmailing the victim with the video initially demanding ₹10,000. If she failed to meet their demands, they threatened to leak the video on social media.

The survivor, after consulting her family members, approached the police and based on her complaint, an FIR has been registered. The 36-year-old beautician was arrested, and a manhunt has been launched for her husband.

The couple has been booked under sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), 385 (putting person in fear for extortion), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have also applied section 66E of the Information Technology Act for violation of the complainant’s privacy,” said the police officer. He said the accused had assaulted the survivor after she refused to give them money, so section 323 was applied in the case.