Bengaluru: A 24-year-old woman was allegedly harassed, assaulted and blackmailed by her lover after she refused to marry him.

The complainant alleged that her jilted lover not only threatened to commit suicide, but also forcibly married her in a temple. When she tried reasoning with him that she was already married, he told her to divorce her husband and to reconcile with him. He threatened her that he would upload her explicit pictures and videos online.

The victim, Puja (name changed), approached City Police Commissioner N.S. Megharikh on July 23. She married Ashish Kumar Ranjan willingly on June 12 and got the marriage registered at the sub-registrar’s office in Banasawadi on July 14.

But trouble started when her jilted lover learnt about her marriage to Ashish. She stated in her complaint, “I met Sharan Kumar C.M. and our friendship grew into a relationship. I asked him for marriage, but he declined every time, citing reasons like his family did not like me, my caste was different, and that he was not ready for marriage yet. Even though we were in a relationship, I felt unhappy as Sharan was never around whenever I needed him. I, however, continued in the relationship hoping things would get better. I supported him and his family in financial matters by giving a major portion of my salary, credit card and gold loan, after the demise of his father. But things didn’t change.”

In 2014, Puja met Ashish Kumar Ranjan, 28, at her workplace and both decided to marry. The complainant said that the torture began when Sharan came to know about her marriage to Ashish.

“Ashish and my family agreed for our marriage. But Sharan turned hysterical and one day asked me to meet him. He took me to his house. On the way, he pulled out the mangalsutra tied by Ashish and put it back around my neck, saying we were married. He told me to tell Ashish’s family that we got married that morning or he would kill himself by slitting his wrist. I agreed as I was scared that he would harm himself,” she stated in the complaint.

Seeing Sharan’s obsession, Puja told Ashish everything and the couple decided to seek police help. “I could not gather strength as Sharan had said he would kill himself. He took me to a temple on June 21, 2016 and married me in the presence of his friends forcibly. I was not at all at peace and was unhappy with everything happening as I was already married to Ashish and wanted to be with him.

The matter was reported to the jurisdictional police. All were summoned and I decided to stay with Ashish. But little did I know that Sharan was hatching a plan to trap me. He tricked me on the pretext of being admitted to a hospital and took me to his home where his relatives beat me up mercilessly. Sharan then made repeated physical contacts against my wishes,” said the complainant.

She alleged that when her husband Ashish returned from Mumbai, he learnt about her ordeal, warned Sharan and brought her home. “Sharan sent a message to Ashish saying that he would make explicit pictures of mine public and would also circulate them on Whatsapp if I was not returned to him,” alleged the complainant.