The Mumbai Police have filed a case against a NRI businessman from Tanzania after an actress-cum-anchor accused him of rape on multiple occasions luring her with marriage, officials said here on Saturday.
The complaint by the 34-year-old actress was lodged last week against the 41-year-old NRI businessman, Viran Patel, claiming that they were in relationship for some time when he abused, assaulted and raped her despite her resistance.
She has said that the sexual assaults took place on various occasions at different places in Mumbai, Raigad’s Alibaug and Karjat, plus Pune.
The victim had met him at a common friend’s party in Andheri in October, 2022 after which he called and messaged her and they became close.
He even invited her to live with him and in February, 2023, he proposed marriage with her, she accepted it and informed her family and friends.
However, she said on March 8, he came home inebriated, late in the night he sneaked into her room and then raped her despite her resistance.
The next morning, the businessman made her speak to his family and informed them that he would marry her in December.
Thereafter, the victim said he raped her on multiple occasions at different venues, forced unnatural sex, and she once informed the police, but since she did not lodge a complaint he was let off with a warning.
“He has been using me physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially under the pretext of marriage… This is also a crime and must be stringently punished. It’s almost a week since my complaint but he has not been arrested so far. I hope he doesn’t flee from the country using his money-power and connections,” the victim told mediapersons.
Last month, she realised that he was having relations with other women and was unlikely to marry her, and hence she lodged the complaint against him.
The N. M. Joshi Marg Police have booked him under Indian Penal Code charges pertaining to rape, assault, abuse and other sections and are probing the allegations.