Police arrest Congress office-bearer in rape case

According to the Mandvi police, Malik is accused of raping a 22-year-old school teacher, taking obscene photographs of her, and using them to blackmail her

Mumbai: The police have arrested 32-year-old Shahzad Malik, a Congress party office-bearer, in connection with an alleged rape case.

Arrested computer hacker and cyber criminal with handcuffs, close up of hands (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the Mandvi police, Malik is accused of raping a 22-year-old school teacher, taking obscene photographs of her, and using them to blackmail her. The woman finally approached the Mandvi police on Friday and lodged a complaint.

According to the FIR, in March 2025, Malik allegedly lured the complainant to a resort in Vajreshwari, where he tied her hands with a piece of cloth and raped her. He is also accused of taking obscene photographs of her without her consent.

The police said that Malik then used the photographs to repeatedly blackmail the woman. Between March and November 2025, he allegedly forced her to accompany him to various hotels and lodges, where he raped her multiple times.

Based on the survivor’s complaint, the police have registered a case against Malik and his alleged accomplice, Harish Tiwari, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rape and indecent assault. Assistant police inspector Balaram Palkar of Mandvi police station said that Tiwari’s role is under investigation.