NALASOPARA: A 22-year-old gym trainer and social media influencer has been arrested by Nalasopara police after a 23-year-old woman accused him of repeatedly raping her on the pretext of marriage.The complainant has also alleged that he lured 70 to 80 women into relationships, recorded obscene videos of them and sold the footage on pornographic websites. Police said they were investigating the allegations and verifying the claims.The accused, identified as Arif Shaikh, was arrested late Monday night after the woman approached the police. His mother, Ruksana, and cousin Sahil Shaikh have also been named in the case.According to the complaint, the woman met Arif on social media last year. She alleged that he promised to marry her and subsequently pressured her to live with him. During this period, he allegedly forced her to have sexual relations with him repeatedly.The complainant further alleged that Arif and his mother pressured her to convert her religion and assaulted her. She also accused Arif’s cousin, Sahil, of attempting to sexually assault her.The woman claimed that she later found videos on Arif’s mobile phone showing him engaging in sexual acts with several women. She subsequently approached local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) functionaries for assistance and lodged a complaint with Nalasopara police on Monday night.According to the complainant, Arif used Instagram to target Hindu women, establish relationships with them and record intimate videos without their knowledge or consent.She alleged that he had trapped at least 70 to 80 women in a similar manner and sold their videos on pornographic websites. Police are examining the videos allegedly recovered from his mobile phone and investigating whether other women were also targeted.Local MNS leaders have demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations. Sanjeev Mehra, a local MNS functionary, said the matter needed to be investigated in detail, particularly in view of the alleged videos involving several women.“We have received a complaint from one woman and registered a case accordingly. Some obscene videos of women have been found on the mobile phone, and we are investigating the matter from that angle,” said Vishal Valvi, senior police inspector at Nalasopara police station. He added that the allegations made by the complainant were being verified.Police have registered a case against Arif, his mother and his cousin under relevant provisions relating to rape, wrongful confinement, assault and other offences. Further investigation is underway.
Case over objectionable remarks during Navratri
In a separate case, Nalasopara police registered an offence against Arif on Sunday over alleged objectionable remarks about Hindu women during Navratri celebrations.According to a complaint filed by Shiv Upadhyay of the Sakal Hindu organisation, Arif allegedly made controversial remarks about the sale of condoms at gyms during Navratri and claimed that he could lure 30 to 40 women. A video of the alleged remarks was reportedly recorded by one of his friends.Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Arif under relevant provisions relating to the alleged promotion of religious enmity and the Information Technology Act.Police said the two cases were being investigated separately.
