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MUMBAI: A 32-year-old man has been arrested for kidnapping his estranged wife on the pretext of signing divorce papers, confining her to a room and taking turns with a friend to rape her.

Sukendu Ajit Jana had gone underground when the sessions court last week rejected his bail plea after the woman, a resident of Bandra, filed a case against him. Using technical aids, the Bandra police laid a trap at Fort and arrested him. They are on the lookout for his friend.

The woman and Jana had got married in 2005 and they had a son. “As the accused used to drink and assault her, their relationship turned bitter and the couple often fought over petty issues. In 2011, they separated. The woman came back to her Bandra home and the accused moved to Virar with his son,” said a Bandra police officer.

Jana sent his son to a boarding school. In 2017, the woman filed a divorce application with the family court. Jana, who was not keen on a divorce, kept dodging signing the papers.

On March 12, 2018, Jana called her and said he was ready to sign the papers and asked her to meet him at Pali hill signal at Bandra. Around 2.30pm, Jana and his friend Ritesh arrived in a taxi. Jana asked her to get in as they had to go to Borivli court to sign the papers.

When she refused, they forced her into the cab and asked the driver to move on. On the way, Jana gagged her with a handkerchief and Ritesh held her hands tightly. They took her to an isolated house in Virar, and locked her. She said in her complaint that late at night, Jana and Ritesh took turns to rape her. Jana also beat her till she fell unconscious.

She came to around 6am, and found Jana and Ritesh in deep sleep in the adjoining room. The main door was locked, but she somehow managed to open another and fled. She went straight to the Virar police and lodged a complaint.

The Bandra police said since she is from Bandra and had been kidnapped from there, the case was transferred. “We have arrested Jana under the IPC sections for kidnapping, wrongful confinement and rape and are looking for Ritesh,” said the officer.

