Datia (Madhya Pradesh): A youth was booked for allegedly raping a 21-year-old girl and issuing death threats to her in Madhya Pradesh's Datia. The accused also forced her to break engagement fixed with another man on pretext of marriage and then fled.
Acting on the complaint, the police swiftly took action and registered a case under the POCSO Act, rape on the absconding accused.
According to the police, the victim met the accused identified as Shivam Chauhan in 2019 when she was a minor. Shivam's sister was married in the victim's village and he would often use this as an advantage to get closer to the victim. With time, he assured the victim to marry her and allegedly exploited her sexually on this pretext.
Things intensified when the girl's engagement was fixed in January 2024. Accused allegedly defamed her and disrupted the engagement. He threatened her saying if she did not marry him, he will not let her tie knot with anybody else.
In January 2025, Chauhan reportedly approached the girl again, apologised, promised of marriage. However, on the night of May 1, he allegedly lured her to his house. Following objections from her family, she was brought back, but Chauhan is said to have issued death threats while leaving.
Station in-charge Dilip Samadhiya confirmed that a case under rape, POCSO has been lodged for physically exploring a minor. Cops have launched a manhunt as well to find the absconding accused
