Phagwara: A well-known astrologer Abhishek Rawal was arrested by the police for allegedly blackmailing and repeatedly raping a married woman, who is a mother of three children, here.
City police have registered a case against the accused Abhishek Rawal of Friends Colony, Phagwara, under serious charges of rape and blackmail.
In her complaint to the police, the victim Sheela (name changed) revealed that she was a close friend of the astrologer’s wife and often met him at family gatherings. She stated that the accused used a voice-changing software to impersonate his wife and communicated with her through phone calls and chats.
Using this trick, he allegedly lured her to his shop under the pretense of shopping, where he drugged her and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious. The accused also recorded an obscene video of the sexual assault.
When the victim regained consciousness, Rawal allegedly threatened her, by claiming that he has the compromising footage.
He later forced her into multiple sexual encounters at different locations by blackmailing her and threatening to harm her children. The victim further alleged that even on Holi, despite her strong refusal, the accused sexually assaulted her again.
When she finally resisted his blackmailing, he reportedly leaked her obscene video on social media.
The victim also claimed that Rawal, under the guise of astrology, used to collect explicit photos of innocent women. She urged the police to conduct a high-level probe into his activities, alleging that he possessed multiple mobile phones containing objectionable material.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested the accused and produced him before local judicial magistrate who sent him to two days police custody for further interrogation.
