UP rape case: Junior clerk arrested for raping minor on pretext of marriage; cheating her of Rs 7 lakh

GONDA: A junior clerk has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor on the pretext of marriage and cheating her of around Rs 7 lakh, police said. The accused, identified as Ashish Singh, allegedly came into contact with the victim in September 2022 when she was 16. She had visited the treasury office, where Singh was employed, to process pension documents following the death of her mother, who had been battling cancer, according to news agency PTI. Station House Officer Vivek Trivedi said Singh gained the girl’s trust by assuring her that he would expedite her pension-related work. “He later developed a relationship with her by projecting himself as a prospective husband,” the SHO said. According to the complaint, Singh repeatedly raped the victim during this period. He also allegedly took around Rs 7 lakh from her on various pretexts, police said. The case came to light in November after the victim learnt that Singh had married another woman. She then approached the City Kotwali Nagar police station to lodge a complaint. “An FIR was registered and the accused was arrested from Lucknow Road,” Trivedi said, adding that further legal action is underway and the police are probing both the sexual assault and financial fraud allegations.