Junior clerk arrested for raping minor on pretext of marriage in UP's Gonda

Gonda (UP), Dec 24 (PTI) A junior clerk has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor on the pretext of marriage and duping her of about Rs 7 lakh, officials said.

Ashish Singh allegedly came in contact with the victim in September 2022 when she was 16 and visited the treasury office, where he worked, to process pension documents after the death of her cancer-stricken mother, police said.

Station House Officer Vivek Trivedi said, "Singh gained her trust by promising to expedite her pension-related work. Over time, he established a relationship with her under the guise of a marriage proposal." During this period, the accused allegedly raped her multiple times, as per the complaint filed by the victim. He also reportedly duped her of about Rs 7 lakh, the SHO said.

The matter came to light in November after the victim discovered that Singh had married another woman, following which she complained to the City Kotwali Nagar police station.

"An FIR was registered and the accused was arrested from Lucknow Road," the SHO said, adding that legal proceedings against the accused are currently underway as the police continue their investigation into the financial and criminal aspects of the case. PTI COR CDN SMV SMV MNK MNK