Paan shop owner arrested for allegedly raping, blackmailing woman techie in Hyderabad

A case had been registered against Upendra Varma, already married, under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 417 (punishment for cheating).

The owner of a paan chain was arrested in Hyderabad on Friday for allegedly raping a techie after offering her a sweet paan laced with sedatives, police said.

People hold placards as they participate in a protest against the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua near Jammu. (REUTERS File Photo)

Upendra Verma, 33, was arrested after the woman lodged a complaint against him at Kachiguda police station.

Three others who helped him in trapping the techie and some other women were also arrested.

The woman alleged the accused cheated her by promising to marry her.

Upendra, who runs a chain of high-end paan shops in the city, allegedly took their intimate photos and videos and blackmailed her by threatening to post them on Youtube.

She told police that she came in contact with him through Facebook four years ago and they became friends and the friendship later developed into an affair. She alleged that he sexually exploited her one night after offering a paan laced with sedatives.

The techie said when she suggested that they should get married, he refused and threatened to post her pictures and videos on social media.

The police were investigating if Upendra and his friends also trapped other women and exploited them.