Jalna: A 25-year-old woman has accused a man of sexually abusing her over several years since she was a minor in Jalna district of Maharashtra, police said. Two persons, including the main accused and his father, have been arrested, while two others have been booked in the case.
According to officials, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges of rape, criminal intimidation and common intention.
The complainant, an engineering graduate and resident of Bhokardan tehsil, alleged that the primary accused, identified as Shaikh Imran (37), subjected her to repeated sexual abuse at multiple locations, including Jalna city and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, beginning in 2016 when she was a minor.
Police said the accused allegedly used photographs of the woman to blackmail her over the years. The survivor has also claimed that she was pressured to follow certain religious practices and that attempts were made to coerce her into religious conversion. Authorities, however, stated that these particular allegations are currently under verification.
Jalna Superintendent of Police Tegbir Singh Sandhu confirmed that a case has been registered against four individuals: Imran, his father, Shaikh Habib, and his two brothers. “Imran and his father have been arrested. All aspects of the case, including allegations of coercion for religious conversion, are being investigated,” he said. The police have initiated a detailed probe, and further action will depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
