Police rescue woman—who was lured online and flew down to India earlier this month—following intervention by mid-day
Nikunj Maheriya
A 19-year-old Belarusian woman was allegedly held captive by her live-in partner in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in a rented apartment for 21 days. Though the teen wanted to return to her city, Minsk, her partner—38-year-old Nikunj Maheriya—allegedly broke her mobile phone, snatched the $2,000 she had and beat her up. When a reliable source appraised mid-day of the matter, we alerted Narasimha Komar, ADG (Law & Order) of the Gujarat Police.
Komar then swung into action and alerted his team members about the stranded teenager. Sources in the Gujarat police told mid-day that a Special Operation Group (SOG) team was roped in for the rescue operation while the Khokhara police in Ahmedabad also helped out.
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The Gujarat police team with the teenager
“The girl had left her hometown Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on May 3 and she had told her mother that she was going to Moscow. But she flew down to New Delhi where she met Maheriya. The duo travelled to Ahmedabad where they started to live together in a rented apartment,” said the source.
The source added that the duo met on the internet and decided to spend their lives together. But after a few days, Maheriya reportedly abused her sexually and also snatched her cellphone and broke it. The teenager was alarmed but could do nothing other than rue her fate as she was held hostage at the rented apartment, which is close to the Baroda Express Highway.
Maheriya would also physically assault her, said the source, who added, “Since she does not speak any Indian language, she was in a fix. She smartly requested her abusive partner to allow her to use her laptop with which she was able to post an SOS message on a forum visited by the Russian community. Since she posted the SOS message in Russian, her live-in partner could not interpret it.”
The teen’s SOS message reads: “I am from Belarus. I flew in to take the SAT exam, since it is not accepted in Belarus and Russia, and I could not get a Schengen visa. Before that, I met a young man, we communicated well and he said that I could fly to him, pass my exams, and together we could relax here. I flew in, but he broke my phone, took all my money [$2000], constantly tries to take my laptop away, beats me and makes me hysterical. Before that, he hid my passport. Now he won't let me go outside and I can't call the police because he broke my phone. If I scream and try to call for help, he beats me and shuts my mouth.”
She had also mentioned her location on the forum that was shared by mid-day with the top officers of Gujarat Police to rescue her. The law enforcement team immediately traced the location and entered the apartment along with a Russian translator to easily communicate with the teen, said R P Vidaja, a sub-inspector of Khokhara police station.
“The girl came in contact with Maheriya through an online chatting platform. She reached Ahmedabad on May 5. Initially, they loved each other but later the relationship turned sour,” said Vidaja. “Maheriya’s parents and his brother live in Washington DC and he lives alone in Ahmedabad in the apartment. We have asked the girl to know if she wants to register any complaint against Maheriya, but she refused to press charges,” he added.
An SOG officer, Inspector Chirag Gosai, said, “She wants to go back to her country. We have made all the arrangements. The girl has also spoken to her mother and embassy officials. She has no complaints at all.” “After rescuing the girl, we kept her at a hotel where women police officers are accompanying her,” Gosai added. Meanwhile, the source said, “The girl was sexually abused and physically assaulted. Her partner broke her cellphone and snatched her cash. Since the girl is completely terrified, she prefers to go back to her country.”
“If she registers a first information report (FIR) against Maheriya, she will be bound to stay back in India to complete the police investigation. This is the reason why she is not registering a case against him in Ahmedabad. Maheriya had also called the girl’s mother in Minsk and told her that she couldn’t do anything to him as she was in a foreign country,” said the source.
“This alarmed the mother who had also approached the embassy office in Belarus, and the Embassy of Belarus in New Delhi was alerted,” the source added. At the time of going to press on Friday night, mid-day learnt that embassy officials facilitated her ticket to Belarus and she was about to board a flight. When contacted, Maheriya said, “She was in love with me. This is the reason she flew down from Belarus to India and decided to live together. I have neither sexually abused nor beaten her. She is making false allegations and the cops have brought me to the police station.” According to Gosai, Maheriya used to work as a masseuse in a spa. "He is now into online gaming," he added.
May 3
Day teenager left Minsk
5 May
Day teenager reached Ahmedabad
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