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The Tilak Nagar police arrested a 48-year-old auto driver for allegedly raping a mentally challenged woman on the pretext of marriage. The driver Jainuddin Shaikh was arrested after he refused to marry the woman, said Tilak Nagar police officials.

According to Tilak Nagar police officials, Shaikh stays in the same neighbourhood in Chembur as the 30-year-old victim. He befriended her last year and used to take her to his house whenever he was alone. The victim’s mother has a private job which saw that the victim was left alone in afternoon, said Tilak Nagar police officials.

Promising to marry her, Shaikh allegedly raped her at his house as well as in his rickshaw from July 2020 till February this year on multiple occasions, said the victim's mother in her statement to the police. On one such day in February, Shaikh's wife returned early and found them together and alerted neighbours and also called the victim's mother.

According to the Tilak Nagar police, after being confronted by victim's mother and neighbours, Shaikh agreed to marry the woman however later backtracked.

On Sunday the victim's mother approached the police and lodged her complaint. The police then registered an offence under the relevant sections for rape under the Indian Penal Code and arrested Shaikh.

"Soon after the case was registered, we arrested the accused. He is in our custody and investigation is underway," said Sunil Kale, senior inspector of Tilak Nagar police station.