‘Slapped me black and blue, choked me': Gurugram woman alleges physical abuse by 'serial molester’ partner
Kushalini Paul, 24, shared her experience of an abusive relationship through a detailed post on LinkedIn.
A 24-year-old woman based in Haryana's Gurugram has alleged that she went through an abusive relationship and did not get the proper legal aid through a post on social media. In a detailed post on LinkedIn, a social media platform otherwise used to create professional networks, Kushalini Paul shared how she fell in love with a man who went on to physically abuse her.
She titled her post, which she shared on Saturday, ‘India: A Place Where the Justice System Validates Domestic Abuse and Blames Women Instead’.
Paul said that she met a man, named Soutik Ganguly, through Instagram and found him “intriguing”. However, he looked older than his pictures when she met him in person. She decided to overlook that now recalls being “blinded by love and naivety”.
‘Red flags’ emerged
Paul said that while she understood Ganguly’s professional ambitions, she started noticing ‘red flags’ in his behavior when he hid her from his social life and called her loud and “insubmissive”. This led her to believe that she needed to change and even started seeking therapy. However, he asked her to stop and said he’d fix her “fatherless behaviors”.
Paul then goes on to describe several episodes of physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her partner, including being slapped by him outside the hotel her mother was staying in. However, she stayed with him, hoping things would change.
“He first slapped me, convincing me I was drunk, disrespectful and he was “managing the situation.” I believed him,” she wrote.
Very recently, just three weeks back when Paul got into her dream university in Berlin, she said that Ganguly started pressuring her for marriage and children. He later apologised and they met on March 21, however, he allegedly snapped when the topic resurfaced while he was intoxicated. She goes on to describe the physical abuse she suffered.
“He slapped me black and blue, pulled my hair, slammed my head into the wall, and kicked me. I tore his shirt, bit his hand, fought back, but he was stronger. He choked me until I could barely breathe,” she wrote.
“I begged him to leave. He left smiling, saying: “Teri aukaat bhi nahi hai. Learn how to behave, if you try to leave, I will impregnate you and then marry you”,” she added.
Woman alleges police negligence
After this horrifying episode, which Paul shared with her sister, she was advised to go to the police, which she did. However, Paul claims that the two female cops at a women’s police station refused to file an FIR and forgive the man and be the bigger person.
Paul also alleges that Ganguly tried to twist the story and portray her as suicidal, crazy, and addicted using their old text messages. He even claimed to hit her in order to protect himself and stop her drug use, she said.
“First abuse and now defamation of a woman’s character? It’s Criminal!” she wrote.
She also said that Ganguly’s father, who is a high-ranking Air Force officer, also used his uniform and influence in the case, which she says is a privilege Ganguly has but she doesn’t.
While describing her ordeal, she said that while her body was covered in bruises, what hurt her more was the “system built to support men like this”.
“Men like Soutik move on to another victim while I, a 24-year-old woman, am left traumatized for life. I refuse to be silent and break down,” she added.
Who is Soutik Ganguly
According to Kushalini Paul, Soutik Ganguly always claimed that he was too busy and had told her that he ran Atlys, a travel company, as his CEO friend Mohak Nahta was “incompetent”.
He allegedly told her that investment and finance firms - Elevation Capital and Peak XV Partners - were funding the travel company for him and that he’d secure his exit gradually.
Paul says that Ganguly promised her a better future and claimed that his role in the company made him “irremovable from the board”.
Paul’s post was accompanied by close-ups of her face with multiple bruises and also a complaint receipt.
‘Serial molester’
After she shared the post, Paul claims that other women have also reached out to her sharing they also suffered abuse at his hands. She also claims to have discovered that throughout their relationship, Ganguly had been living in Gurugram with another woman, whom he had been in a relationship with for five years.
“Last year, his actions resulted in her undergoing surgeries related to maternity complications,” she wrote.
“This isn’t just about one person’s trauma, #SoutikGanguly is a serial molester, abuser and a Casanova who has repeatedly deceived, manipulated, and harmed women without remorse,” she added.
Highlighting Ganguly’s alleged pattern of abuse, Paul said that young girls have also shared their creepy encounters with him.
She concluded the post with, “I won’t back down. I don’t know how I’ll heal from this, but one thing is certain he will face the consequences.”
