Cops arrest Pune-based engineer who assaulted the victim, demanding Rs 5 lakh from her parents to buy a car

Cops say he married her for revenge. A Pune-based engineer has been arrested by Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan for torturing his wife, and asking her to have sex with his friends after she refused to arrange for Rs 5 lakh as dowry. In her complaint, the woman stated that the accused allegedly had sex with other girls in her presence.

On February 3, the complainant, Sakina (name changed), lodged a First Information Report (FIR) alleging that on several occasions her husband Imran Shaikh (35) assaulted her and demanded Rs 5 lakh from her parents as he wanted to buy a car. Shaikh also demanded that she maintain physical relations with his friends if she failed to arrange for the money. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old son, who is staying with the mother.

Following the complaint, the police arrested Shaikh under sections 498 (A) (matrimonial cruelty), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Cops are now searching for Shaikh's father Gulam, mother Shahnaz, sisters Sazia, Alia and Sadap to book them on the same charges.

"The court has remanded Shaikh to judicial custody till February 23. We are also searching for the other accused in the matter," said Sub-inspector Sandeep Nigade.

Act of vengeance
According to Sakina (34), a B Com student and resident of Kalyan, she came to know before their wedding that Shaikh was an alcoholic and a smoker. She refused to marry him. To impress her, Imran went on a hunger strike for three days, denying himself food, cigarettes and wine. Sakina then accepted his proposal. The marriage was solemnised  on November 1, 2000 in Kalyan. Just 15 days later Shaikh allegedly thrashed Sakina, telling her that he wanted revenge from her, as she had dared to refuse his proposal. "While hitting me he said that he would make my life a living hell as I had turned down his proposal previously," said Sakina.

F(r)iends
Shaikh is a resident of Raheja complex, Pune. He would go to Daman and Delhi for work-related projects; Sakina would accompany him. The victim says her husband often brought girls to their residence and had sex with them in front of her. He also invited his male friends home and had drinks with them. He forced Sakina to serve the liquor. The victim says the men often molested her. When she complained, her husband tried to force her into having sex with them.

"His friends used to pass comments on my appearance, figure and at times molested me. When I opposed them, my husband used to abuse me. He even asked me to have sex with his friends, but I refused,"said Sakina.

Nine months ago Shaikh allegedly threw Sakina and their son out of their home. Sakina's brother Arif had tried to reason with him. But he allegedly threatened him saying he had contacts with Chhota Rajan, police and judges.

"Imran mujhse kahta tha ki tum mera kuchh nahi bigaad sakte. Uska relation Chhota Rajan se hai. Police wale uske dost hain aur judges se bhi uske tallukaat hain. (Imran would say to me that I couldn't touch him, because he was acquainted with Chhota Rajan, several cops were his friends and he also knew many judges)."