BHOPAL: A 23-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district was allegedly raped and subjected to torture by her former live-in partner after she had refused to marry him.
The woman had been held captive by her former partner, Ayan Khan, for over a month. The incident came to light on Tuesday after the survivor managed to escape and report the ordeal to local authorities, leading to the accused's arrest.
Khan, approximately 25 years old, had resorted to extreme measures such as glueing the woman's lips shut to prevent her from calling for help.
During her time in captivity, the survivor was allegedly subjected to multiple instances of physical and sexual assault, including the application of chilli powder to her genitals, wounds caused by a leather belt and water pipe and being repeatedly raped by the accused.
According to local police officials, the accused was arrested and booked under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 294 (obscene language), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). The accused has also been booked under the provisions of the Excise Act, as illicit liquor has also been seized from his possession.
Meanwhile, the survivor is receiving medical treatment at Guna District Hospital, suffering from injuries including impaired vision due to chilli powder being forced into her eyes.
Additional SP (ASP-Guna district) Man Singh Thakur, who confirmed the arrest, said that the woman and the accused had been in a relationship for the last two years and have been living in the same locality.
The woman's captivity began a month prior, when she found herself isolated in her residence after her mother's departure to the neighbouring Shivpuri district.
According to the survivor's mother, the accused had visited their house frequently, troubled the family and engaged in vandalism after her daughter refused to marry him.
"He dragged my daughter out of my house and took her away before locking her in a room. He has been troubling us for a long time. He has been regularly visiting our house and ransacking our property after my daughter refused to stay with him, marry him and give our parental property to him," the survivor’s mother told journalists at the hospital.
"He has even looted property from our house. As he is associated with anti-social elements, even the neighbours have never shown the courage to come to our rescue,” she added.
The accused's mother has come in support of the victim, demanding strong action against her son. "He has even tortured us and was forcing me to leave the house. He should be given the strictest punishment," she told local reporters in Guna.