Bizman held for rape, blackmail

TNN | Apr 6, 2017, KOLKATA: The police have arrested businessman Rakesh Chowdhury for allegedly drugging a woman at a guest house last year, raping her and filming it last year. He has been sent to two days' police custody after he and his wife were interrogated.

The 26-year-old woman from Assam, employed as a trainee executive at a Kolkata hotel, had lodged an FIR on Tuesday against Chowdhury alleging he raped her on several occasions, threatening to upload the video on social media if she went to the cops. She alleges he made her undergo two abortions this year.

The woman residing presently at Jodhpur Park but hailing from Assam and employed as an executive in a hotel - has alleged that a BPO owner residing in the phase III of Salt Lake has habitually raped her and even forced her to undergo abortion.

She said that she was drugged the first time and raped at a guesthouse last year which was video-recorded. The businessman then allegedly forced her into a physical relationship by blackmailing and threatening to release the video on social media.

The woman finally approached the Lake police station on Tuesday and registered an FIR under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354D (stalking), 313 (Causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult the modesty of woman).

According to the complaint, a copy of which is with TOI, the woman first met the businessman in June 2016. A few months later, the businessman asked her to meet him promising that there would be other friends. Once she met the accused, he offered her drinks allegedly laced with drugs. He then offered to drop her home. But on the way, the accused took her to a guesthouse in a semi-conscious condition and raped her. He even filmed the act. She claimed he then kept visiting her residence in Kolkata at regular intervals and raped her.

The woman claimed that in 2017 she was forced to abort twice even though she informed the accused's wife. "He asked to show to the world that we are a couple," claimed the victim. The cops said they have registered a case of rape based on the complaint and ascertaining the facts of the case. "