Mumbai: In a dramatic turn of events that spans continents and months of legal and personal disputes, the Matunga police have registered a case against 38-year-old French national Annabelle Dragan for allegedly deceiving a young businessman and attempting to extort money by misusing the birth of their child. The case, involving intricate personal relationships, international travel, and corporate interests, has sent shockwaves across social circles in Mumbai and Indore.
Woman Accused of Misrepresenting Age to Form Relationship
According to the FIR, filed by Vaibhav Anil Rai, 53, managing director of H&H Healthcare and Cosmetics Pvt Ltd, Dragan misrepresented her age and fertility status to form a relationship with his 22-year-old son Harshal Rai, also the company’s managing director.
The relationship reportedly began in October 2022 on a luxury dating app LUXY, where Dragan introduced herself as a 27-year-old French citizen residing in Dubai. In reality, she was 38 years old. The two developed a close relationship, chatting over WhatsApp and Instagram, and eventually meeting in person in Mumbai in January 2023 and later in Dubai in Feb-March the same year.
On April 18, 2023, Dragan informed Harshal that she had become pregnant. However, according to the FIR, she had previously claimed to be incapable of conceiving. In messages between the two, she allegedly assured him that her decision to keep the baby was entirely hers.
Despite these assurances, Dragan allegedly began pressuring the Rai family, first demanding a stake in their company under the pretext of consultancy, and later pushing for 5-10% commission on international contracts, especially in the Middle East and Europe. When Harshal requested a paternity test, she is said to have refused but reiterated she would take full responsibility for the child.
Family Willing to Accept Child and Dragan
On December 16, 2023, she informed Harshal of the birth of a daughter, Eva. On February 2, 2024, she reached out to Vaibhav Rai, sharing information about her relationship with Harshal and Eva’s birth. The family claims they were willing to accept both Dragan and the child. Harshal even proposed marriage and requested that she move to India with him, but she allegedly refused.
In May 2024, Dragan arrived unexpectedly in Indore and met Harshal and his parents at a local hotel, but declines marriage. A series of alarming developments followed. Dragan created multiple WhatsApp groups, including one titled “Eva”, where she shared the child’s daily updates and photos. In August 2024, she allegedly began defaming the family through another group and sent a threatening letter demanding financial support.
In October 2024, Dragan, through her legal representatives, sent a formal legal notice to Harshal demanding a one-time payment of 1 million Euros and monthly maintenance of 8,000 Euros (nearly Rs9 crore upfront and Rs7 lakh per month). The Rai family, through their legal team, responded on November 16, 2024.
Dragan Demands Rs 20 Crore, Settles on Rs 6 Crore
In a subsequent round of negotiations, she is said to have demanded Rs20 crore, later settling on Rs 6 crore, contingent upon a paternity test, which she reportedly avoided.
On February 4 this year, she filed what the Rai family has described as a false and fabricated criminal complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Indore. In response, the Rai family submitted a written statement before the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Indore and later approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which they claim ruled in their favour. In April, she allegedly began a social media smear campaign, creating multiple Instagram accounts to post AI-generated ‘Ghiblistyle’ illustrations and private photos of the family, further damaging their reputation. Based on the complaint by Vaibhav Rai, the police have booked Dragan under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Copyright Act, 1957, including the amendments in 1984 and 1994.
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