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HC directs police to provide protection to foreigner woman in rape, cheating case

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Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Delhi High Court Friday directed the police to provide security to a Ukrainian woman who is seeking cancellation of bail of a man, claiming to be a yoga instructor, for allegedly raping and cheating her.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait noted that the woman, who is suffering from cancer, has been receiving threats from the accused and directed Delhi Police to provide her a lady officer round the clock to avoid any untoward incident.

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The court also directed the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to provide her treatment for cancer on priority basis and ensure that she does not face any difficulty.

 

The court was informed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, representing the woman, that her visa was going to expire in February and she wanted to go back to her country as she did not have money to get the treatment in India.

The court made it clear that the expenses for her treatment will be borne by the AIIMS and she will not be charged even a penny.

It also directed the Ministry of External Affairs to take steps and get her visa extended till pendency of her case here and no action be taken against her in the absence of her valid visa.

The high court also sought response of the police and accused Abhishek Singh on the woman's plea seeking cancellation of his bail granted by a trial court on January 8 in the cheating case.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 11.

The court was informed by the prosecutor that after recording statement of the woman, the investigating officer (IO) has come to the conclusion that a rape case is made out against the man and a supplementary charge sheet would be filed against him under section 376 IPC.

It was assured by the IO that she will take steps, if required, to arrest the accused for the alleged offence of rape.

According to the woman's plea, she had become friends with the accused on social media.

The woman, a yoga instructor herself who has been practising for the last 20 years, alleged that the accused "fraudulently" took Rs 5 lakh from her for "jointly setting up a yoga centre" promising "good returns".

"Singh had introduced himself as a great yoga guru from India and told the petitioner that he is teaching Yoga to all big celebrities of India, including the Prime Minister and the President of India," the plea claimed.

It said the accused manipulated her and started claiming that he was "madly in love with her and he wanted to marry her".

"The accused further told the petitioner that she can set up her yoga training centres in India, in collaboration with him," it claimed.

It alleged that "on the insistence of the accused, she finally came to Goa in July 2018, where she met him. On his insistence, she booked an apartment in Goa where the accused raped her" and added that she was raped by him at various other places including Rishikesh.

The woman claimed that when she wanted to separate from the man, he threatened to kill her.

"On the assurances of good return by the accused, the petitioner invested her money for a yoga centre. The accused kept on taking money from the petitioner on one pretext or other and in total, he fraudulently took away about Rs 5 lakh from the petitioner between July 2018 and September 2018," the plea said.

It also said that the accused, despite being married, repeatedly raped the woman on the pretext of marrying her.

A case of cheating and forgery was lodged against the man at South Avenue police station here in 2018.

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First Published: Jan 31 2020 | 9:00 PM IST

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