Assam: Nagaon Independent candidate Abu Shama arrested on rape, blackmail charges

Nagaon: An Independent candidate from Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, where polling was held on April 26, has been arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing a woman, a police officer said on Monday.

The accused, Abu Shama, was sent to judicial custody on Sunday after being apprehended the previous day, the officer added.

The victim, in the complaint at Juria Police Station, alleged that Shama had raped her when she had gone to buy some medicines at his pharmacy a few months back.

He had reportedly made a video of the incident and, threatening to upload it on social media, had been extorting money from her, with the woman claiming that she had paid about Rs five lakh to him already.

The police officer also said that two journalists of Juria have been arrested based on an FIR filed by Shama, who alleged that the duo had demanded money to not broadcast the news against him.

"We are investigating both the cases and further details will be known only at a later stage," he added.