Bhubaneswar: A man was arrested by police for allegedly raping a woman and threatening to make the videos of the crime viral, a source said Saturday.
The accused was identified as Himanshu Behera alias Chiku (27) from Kandhamal district. He was sent to judicial custody after being produced before a court in Bhubaneswar Friday.
According to the source, the victim and the accused are childhood friends. After the death of the victim’s father in 2019, Himanshu proposed the victim for a relationship. However, the proposal was rejected by the woman.
Even after the refusal, the accused continued to speak with the victim over phone and later developed a relationship. Later, the victim started working as a nurse at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar and was staying in a hostel, the source added.
According to the victim’s FIR, Himanshu moved to Bhubaneswar and invited the woman to his house in Kalinga Vihar. The girl went to Himanshu’s house April 22, 2023. Afterwards, Himanshu drugged the woman and raped her. The accused also took pictures and videos of the crime. Later, he threatened the victim to make the photos and videos viral on social media and extorted Rs 3 lakh from her.
A few days after the incident, Himanshu barged into the private hospital – where the victim worked as a nurse — and assaulted her, the FIR read.
Subsequently, the victim registered an FIR February 24 at Mahila Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
Based on the FIR, the cops raided the native place of the accused and brought him to Bhubaneswar.
PNN
