A social media content creator and mobile shop owner, Aditya Das, has been arrested by police in Tripura for allegedly raping a tribal woman after luring her with the promise of gifting her an expensive iPhone, officials said on Sunday.
Arrest and Charges
According to officer-in-charge of Amtali Police Station, inspector Paritosh Das, the accused was formally arrested late on Saturday night under Sections 65(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Das said the accused, a resident of the Kamalpur area in Dhalai district, had allegedly come in contact with the victim through Facebook a few months ago, after which the two began communicating regularly on social media.
Victim's Complaint
According to the complaint filed by the victim, the accused allegedly convinced her to meet him in Agartala by promising to gift her an expensive iPhone. The woman had reportedly travelled to the city by train on Saturday morning to buy medicines.
Police said that after she arrived at Badharghat Railway Station, the accused picked her up on a high-end motorcycle and allegedly took her to a hotel near the station instead of the location he had initially mentioned. The victim alleged that the accused raped her inside the hotel room and assaulted her when she resisted. She also claimed that before leaving, he took away her mobile phone and later threatened her with serious consequences.
Escape and Complaint
After managing to escape from the hotel, the survivor approached the West Agartala Women Police Station and lodged a written complaint against the accused.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, a police team led by inspector Shiuli Das raided the accused's mobile phone shop near the Laxminarayan Bari area in Agartala on Saturday night and detained him.
Background of the Accused
Police sources said the accused owns two mobile phone shops in Agartala, including outlets near Siddhi Ashram and Laxminarayan Bari, and is locally known as a social media content creator. He is reportedly married with children and was residing in the Gangail Road area of the city.
According to police, after being brought to the police station, the accused allegedly attempted to intimidate officers by referring to his influence and connections.
Legal Proceedings
He was later handed over to Amtali Police Station, where he was formally arrested around 2am on Sunday. Speaking to ANI, Amtali Police Station OC Inspector Paritosh Das confirmed that the accused had been produced before the court.
