Tread with caution

Mohali: A 25-year-old woman has accused a man she came in contact with on Facebook of raping her over a period of two months on the promise of getting her a job in Chandigarh.Baltana resident Naresh Kumar has been charged with sections 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at Zirakpur police station. However, he is yet to be arrested.Though the woman had filed the complaint in January, the police registered the case on Monday, after it verified the rape claims during a preliminary probe.In her complaint, the woman has claimed that her friendship with the accused grew over a year through chats on Facebook. She alleged that they even exchanged photographs and phone numbers. Later, he promised to get her a job in Chandigarh, the complaint said.After intimating the man that she was coming to Chandigarh in November 2014, the girl met the accused in Mohali, it has been claimed in the complaint. She alleged that when they met, the accused took her to the room of a hotel in Phase I of Mohali, where he gave her a drink laced with sedatives and raped her. However, as the woman had not intimated her parents and feared social stigma, she did not say anything.Later, she alleged that she again met the man in person and developed an intimate relationship with him as he had promised to get her a job. However, when she came to know that the man had no contacts and could not get her a job, she approached the police and filed a complaint of rape and cheating.The investigating officer of the case said the accused is yet to be nabbed. "He has left his rented accommodation already and we are trying to ascertain his hideouts," he said.Here are some tips that would keep you safe when you meet a stranger you have befriended online:Meet and stay in public place: Meet for the first time in a public location. Ensure that it is never in a private or remote place, and never at your date's home or apartment. It is best not to go back to your date's home or room. If the other person pressures you, don't give in.Inform a friend, or take him/her along: Always remember to intimate a friend or trusted family member if you have plans to meet a person you befriended onlibe. Ensure that your mobile phone is alway with you.Don't drink: Stay away from alcohol. Avoid doing anything that would impair your judgment and cause you to make a decision you would end up regretting later. Also, even if you don't drink, never let the soft beverage that you have be away from you sight at anytime. The other person can lace it with an intoxicant.Use your own conveyance: Don't sit in the other person's car at anytime. If you do not have a car, use a radio taxi or public transport instead.