A 19-year-old Belarusian woman was reportedly held captive in a rented apartment for 21 days by her partner in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Although the teenager wanted to return to her city of Minsk, her partner, 38-year-old Nikunj Maheriya, allegedly broke her mobile phone, stole her $2,000 and beat her. When a reliable source became aware of the matter at midday, we alerted Narasimha Komar, ADG (Law & Order) of Gujarat Police.
Then Komar took action and alerted his team members to the stranded teenager. Gujarat Police sources said at noon that a team from the Special Operation Group (SOG) was deployed to the rescue operation, while Khokhara Police in Ahmedabad also assisted.
Gujarat Police are working with the teenager
“The girl left her hometown of Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on May 3 and told her mother that she was going to Moscow. But she flew to New Delhi where she met Maheriya. The duo traveled to Ahmedabad, where they set out to live together in a rented apartment,” the source said.
The source added that the duo met online and decided to spend their lives together. However, after a few days, Maheriya reportedly sexually abused her, including taking her cell phone and breaking it. The teenager was alarmed but could do nothing but regret her fate when she was held hostage at the rented apartment near the Baroda Express Highway.
Maheriya also physically assaulted her, the source said, adding, “Since she doesn’t speak an Indian language, she was in a bind. She cleverly asked her abusive partner to allow her use of her laptop to post with.” an SOS message in a forum visited by the Russian community. Because she posted the SOS message in Russian, her partner could not interpret it.”
The teenager’s SOS message reads: “I’m from Belarus. I flew in to take the SAT exam as it’s not accepted in Belarus and Russia and I couldn’t get a Schengen visa. Before that I met a young man.” We got along well and he said I could fly to him, pass my exams and together we could relax here. I flew in but he broke my phone and took all my money [$2000], keeps trying to take my laptop away, hitting me and making me hysterical. Before that he hid my passport. Now he won’t let me out and I can’t call the police because he broke my phone. If I scream and try to call for help, he hits me and shuts my mouth.
She had also mentioned her location on the forum, which was shared with top Gujarat Police officers by midday in an attempt to rescue her. The law enforcement team immediately located the place and, along with a Russian translator, entered the apartment to easily communicate with the teenager, said RP Vidaja, a sub-inspector at Khokhara Police Station.
“The girl came into contact with Maheriya through an online chat platform. She reached Ahmedabad on May 5th. At first they loved each other, but later the relationship deteriorated,” said Vidaja. “Maheriya’s parents and brother live in Washington DC and he lives alone in the apartment in Ahmedabad. We asked the girl if she would like to file a complaint against Maheriya, but she refused to press charges,” he added.
A SOG official, Inspector Chirag Gosai, said: “She wants to return to her country. We have taken all precautions. The girl has also spoken to her mother and embassy officials. She has no complaints at all.” “After rescuing the girl, we detained her in a hotel where policewomen escorted her,” Gosai added. Meanwhile, the source said: “The girl was sexually abused and physically assaulted. Her partner broke her cell phone and stole her cash. Since the girl is completely afraid, she prefers to return to her country.”
“If she files a First Information Report (FIR) against Maheriya, she must remain in India to complete the police investigation. For this reason, she is not bringing a case against him in Ahmedabad. Maheriya had also called. “I saw a girl’s mother in Minsk and told her that she could not harm him as she was in a foreign country,” the source said.
“This alerted the mother, who had also contacted the embassy office in Belarus, and the Belarusian embassy in New Delhi was alerted,” the source added. As of Friday evening’s press time, it was learned that embassy officials had arranged her a ticket to Belarus and that she was about to board a flight. When contacted, Maheriya said: “She was in love with me. Because of this, she flew to India from Belarus and decided to live together. I never sexually abused or hit her. She is making false accusations and the police took me to the police station. According to Gosai, Maheriya used to work as a masseuse at a spa. “He’s interested in online gaming now,” he added.
May 3rd
During the day the teenager left Minsk
5th of May
The day youth reached Ahmedabad
