Thane spa owner booked for raping employee under pretext of marriage

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An official on Wednesday said that the police have registered a case against a Thane spa owner in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly raping a 25-year-old employee under the pretext of marrying her, reported news agency PTI.

The accused, who operated the Thane spa in Airoli area, committed on multiple occasions over the last nine months.

He allegedly raped the woman at her residence in Thane city after promising to marry her and to give her a salary hike, the official from Naupada police station said, reported PTI.

He also beat her up and threatened her with dire consequences when she refused to give in to his wishes, the official said.

Based on the woman's complaint, the police on Monday registered the case against the Thane spa owner under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 64 (rape), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 351(2)(criminal intimidation).

A probe was on into the case, the police added.

Rs 7 cr gold ornaments stolen from Thane shop; hunt on for 2 culprits

Two unidentified persons allegedly stole 6.5 kg of gold ornaments valued at nearly Rs 7 crore from a jewellery shop in Maharashtra's Thane city, police said on Wednesday, reported PTI.

The heist took place between 1.30 am and 4 am on Tuesday at the shop located near the Thane railway station, they said.

The thieves first broke a lock of the staircase door leading to the first floor of the establishment and then forced open the shop's shutter, granting them access to the jewellery displayed inside, the Naupada police said, reported PTI.

There was absence of conventional security measures within the store. Unlike standard practices where jewellers secure valuable ornaments in safes overnight, the valuables was openly displayed, making it easier for the thieves to complete the heist in a short span of time, an official said.

"This unusual lapse in security facilitated the robbers in the swift theft," the official said on condition of anonymity, reported PTI.

The Naupada police have registered a case under relevant provisions against the unidentified culprits.

Multiple investigation teams have been deployed to trace the culprits and recover the stolen gold.

The authorities were also examining CCTV footage of the area, questioning locals, and analysing forensic evidence to identify the perpetrators, the police said.

"Our teams are gathering evidence and pursuing all possible leads to resolve this sophisticated robbery," the official said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)