‘False rape case filed by escort destroyed my life’

One of the pictures the woman sent to Vinod Dixit, blackmailing him

A 51-year-old former aeronautical engineer associated with a well-known foreign airlines, Qatar airways, has now been exonerated by the Mumbai police in a rape case filed against him in 2021. The complainant had accused Vinod Dixit of multiple rapes in India and in the USA. A Lookout Circular (LOC) had been issued against him, as he was residing in Qatar. After spending a month in jail, he was granted bail by the court in 2021. However, the police discovered that the woman's allegations were false. The police found evidence indicating that she was with an escort services firm, and her contact information and profile were on a website for paid sexual services.

Talking to mid-day over the phone from Ethiopia, Dixit described the hell he went through. "I cannot fully express the trauma I've endured. This woman went by multiple names, but later claimed to be Yamini Rawal, the niece of a celebrity. I not only lost my job but also tragically lost my mother. I returned to India from Delhi, unaware of the case, only to be arrested at the Delhi airport. Despite having a clear record and chat evidence, the police didn't verify before arresting me. The police then transported me to Mumbai, where I spent nearly 45 days in jail for a crime I did not commit. My family's life was shattered," said Dixit.

"This woman took Rs 14 lakh from me on the pretext of treating her mother, and I spent an additional R10 lakh on her. While I acknowledge my mistake, there was no criminal intent; it was consensual, and there are chat records to support this. I want to speak out and let the world know how this woman manipulated me. I am aware of her political connections, and am planning to expose them and the threats I endured," Dixit added.

Police found that the accused and the alleged survivor had connected on a social media platform. Eventually, Dixit proposed a week-long trip to the Maldives. The woman had agreed and stated that she would charge him Rs 3.5 lakh for the trip, with an agreement to engage in physical relations. They did not go. Based on these revelations, the Juhu police filed a B summary report, clearing Dixit of all charges.

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The police report also highlighted that the woman had attempted to extort Rs 20 crore from him by threatening to make his personal photographs viral, which he had reported to Santacruz police. This led to her filing the false rape complaint against Dixit. The Andheri Metropolitan Court accepted the police's closure report last week, citing sufficient grounds to accept the B summary report.

The case

According to the B-summary report, the woman complained to the Bangur Nagar police on March 31, 2021. The case was transferred to the Juhu police station. In her complaint, the woman alleged that she had been raped by Dixit, a resident of Noida, multiple times on the false pretext of marriage, in the USA and in Mumbai. She further claimed that Dixit had falsely asserted that he was single and that his child and wife had tragically died in a road accident. She also alleged that Dixit blackmailed her after their USA trip, threatening to post her personal photographs on social media.

She had accompanied Dixit as per his request to the USA in October 2020, where he was transferred by the airline. She claimed she was raped by him there. She returned to Mumbai on November 5, 2020. On December 28, 2020, he came to Mumbai. In Mumbai she claimed he raped her thrice. She alleged as she didn't respond to him, as per his threats, he filed a complaint against her at Santacruz police station and sent her a copy of the FIR. He was apprehended at Delhi airport on July 21, 2021. He was granted bail on September 20, 2021.

Closure report

The closure report, submitted in the form of a B summary by the Juhu police in 2022, revealed all the allegations by the woman were found to be false. There was no evidence to support her claim of being raped by the accused. She did not respond when asked by the police why she had not lodged a complaint against Dixit in the USA or in Mumbai.

Escort service woman

Further investigation revealed that she was involved with an escort service called ‘Travel Girl,' and her profile and contact number were verified on the website known for providing women for paid sexual services. The police also tried to verify her claims of being raped in the USA by interviewing a witness who had picked her up from the airport. This witness claimed that she appeared comfortable, and had received $5,000 to stay with the accused.

Through WhatsApp chats, police also found evidence that the woman was aware of Dixit's marital status and that he had two children. The allegations of rape in Mumbai were also found to be false. "The woman filed the complaint against the accused after demanding Rs 20 crore from him and threatening to expose his images to his family and employer. The accused reported this to the Santacruz police on December 30, 2020. Subsequently, she threatened him again, this time demanding R50 lakh. Fearing another complaint, she filed this false rape case against the accused," stated the B summary report. The women filed a protest petition against the B summary report but the court rejected it and accepted the closure report saying grounds for it are sufficient.

"My client has endured the loss of his job, the tarnishing of his image, and the destruction of his personal life as a result of these false allegations. While the truth has finally come to light, the question remains: who will address the trauma he has endured? Furthermore, it's crucial to consider whether the airline will reinstate him," advocate Dinesh Gupta, Dixit's lawyer said.

"The loss of my job and public shaming were incredibly painful. My pictures appeared in newspapers, falsely proving me guilty of a crime I never committed. The trauma of missing my mother's last rites was unimaginable. The woman took everything from me, filing false cases that destroyed my entire career," Dixit said.