08 May,2026 01:43 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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A 40-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district has been arrested for allegedly raping a housewife over nearly two years on the false promise of marriage and forcing her to undergo an abortion, an official said on Friday, reported PTI.
The action against accused Viren Hasmukh Patel, a resident of Kolsewadi in Kalyan, came on a complaint by a 27-year-old woman, originally hailing from Uttar Pradesh and currently residing in Kalyan, reported PTI.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the crime was committed between September 2024 and April 2026. Citing the complaint, a police official said that Patel allegedly lured the woman with the promise of marriage, claiming he would legally divorce his current wife.
"The accused took the complainant to various rented rooms and lodges, where he allegedly engaged in repeated physical relations with her under the pretext of their future marriage," the official said.
When the woman became pregnant, Patel allegedly forced her to take abortion pills, leading to a miscarriage without her consent, as per the FIR, reported PTI.
The victim and her parents recently visited Patel's residence to question him about the status of his divorce and his commitment to marry her. However, Patel allegedly insulted, abused and assaulted the three, the official said, reported PTI.
The case against Patel has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including the ones pertaining to rape, sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means and causing miscarriage without a woman's consent, police said.
The Kongaon police have taken the accused into custody, and further investigation into the matter is underway, the official added.
In another case, a man allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl in a forest area in Maharashtra's Palghar district under the pretext of obtaining a medicinal plant for her treatment, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Monday and the 55-year-old accused, identified as Shivram Parash Savar, a resident of a village in Vikramgad taluka of the district, was arrested around early on Tuesday, they said, reported PTI.
A complaint in this connection was lodged by the elder sister of the victim, inspector Amar Patil of the Kasa police station said, reported PTI.
The complainant said she and her sister had approached the accused on April 30 to seek herbal treatment for her irregular menstrual cycle. The accused is known among villagers to provide herbal treatment to people, he said.
"On May 3, the accused visited the residence of the victim. Under the pretext of procuring a medicinal plant for her treatment, he took the complainant, her 19-year-old sister and some of their relatives in a car," Patil said.
The group departed from Dahanu around 11.30 pm. After driving a short distance, the accused parked the vehicle by the roadside near Charipawan around 1 am. He lured the teenage victim to accompany him into the nearby bushes under the guise of gathering the medicinal plant and instructed other passengers to remain inside the vehicle, the inspector said, reported PTI.
"Once in the secluded forest area, the accused raped the minor victim and subsequently threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone," the inspector said citing the complaint.
The victim's sister and the daughter of the accused were known to each other, which had established a sense of trust, he added.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sameer Maher said a case has been registered against the accused under sections 64 (1) (rape), 65(1) (rape of a girl under 12 years of age), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, reported PTI.
The accused was arrested around 4 am on Tuesday, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
