Couple who attempted suicide now at loggerheads

A 28-year-old man, who had earlier tried to kill himself seemingly to cajole parents into approving his second marriage, was only putting on appearances to manipulate his victim the woman who he left his wife for - into having a physical relationship. He thought he could avoid arrest on sexual crime charges by telling her that he was married to her, cops said.

Mahesh Kothari and his long-time former girlfriend in happier times

MiD DAY had recently earlier reported (‘Police fail to lodge case as couple attempts suicide again') how both the man and his victim had attempted suicide twice and threatened to commit it again if their parents did not allow them to tie the knot. Sources said that the accused, Mahesh Kothari, attempted to commit suicide a few weeks ago to convince her he loved her and intended to marry her. But the victim registered a rape case against him at Nehru Nagar police station on Monday when he refused to marry her.

Just a sham
She said in her statement to the police, "He showed me fake paperwork to convince me that we had been married. When I found out, he told me to let it go as he was still ready to marry me. He took me to different cities across the country and stayed with me in hotels, repeatedly raping me under the cloak of marriage. Recently, he took me to a hotel in Chembur to rape me."

According to the Nehru Nagar police, Mukesh was only interested in having a sexual relationship with her. He consumed sleeping pills to impress the victim and her family. Layer, when he dumper under pressure from family, the victim realised that she was only a plaything for him, and registered an FIR."

Police said he would constantly tell her she was like his wife, fearing that she might file a rape case. But toward the end he practically disowned her, kicking her out of the hotel they were staying at. BB Rathod, in-charge of Nehru Nagar police station said, "We registered a rape case on the basis of the victim's complaint. We would arrest Mukesh as soon as he is discharged from hospital, where he got himself admitted two days ago. Earlier, we did not register an attempt to suicide case as there was no complainant. He was let off with a warning."

Killer love
The police said that Mukesh's family objected to their relationship as he is already married and even has a kid. The woman, on the other hand, had been married for nine years until she got a divorce six months ago. Recently, she took 10 sleeping pills and tried to end her life. She was later admitted to Sushrut hospital from where she was discharged a few days back.

The police had taken a detailed statement of her at the hospital. Next Mukesh, the son of a jewellery storeowner in Kurla (E), also tried to commit suicide after his family separated him from her. He consumed poison and was admitted to the same hospital. Both threatened to commit suicide again. But the Nehru Nagar police let them off after giving a strict warning, without registering a case.u00a0