Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 5: A girl from Ardi village within Belve gram panchayat in the taluk has filed a complaint in Shankarnarayana police station, accusing a youth of raping her when she was a minor and continuing to do so for the last nine years, with fake promises of marriage. She said the youth had defrauded her by snapping relationship and breaking his promise of marriage.

The girl in her complaint alleged that Pradeep Naik of Barigadde, Konjady 'raped' her for nine years before dumping her.

The complainant said she was 15 when she came into contact with the boy for the first time. Pradeep had visited her home to attend to some masonry work, and at the time she said she was alone at home, as her parents, who are coolies, had gone out to work. Pradeep made use of this opportunity to come close to the girl and make her believe with his sweet words that he was interested in marrying her. This acquaintance slowly developed a bond between the two in due course, and the relationship turned physical. The girl said she was not amenable for sexual relationship initially as she was only 15 years old then, but submitted after Pradeep reiterated his undying love for her and pledged to stay committed to her, and eventually marrying her. The physical relationship continued since then.

Her parents came to know about this relationship after about a year. When they confronted the boy, it is said, he repeated his earnest desire to marry her. She said Pradeep also took her in his motor bike to places of pilgrimage like Murdeshwar, Subrahmanya, and Dharmasthala. Whenever he was reminded of his promise of marriage, Pradeep made her believe that he would enter wedded life after his younger sister was married away, but failed to keep this promise. On another occasion, he told her he would marry her after his planned pilgrimage to Sabarimala, but failed once again to keep up his words.

The girl says she had approached Shankarnarayana police three months back with the complaint, but did not insist on filing written complaint, after the police personnel promised her to settle the issue between the two by holding talks with the boy and his family members. She said a decision to pursue the case was taken after observing that there was no progress on this issue. The youth in the meanwhile, negotiated with her through some others by offering two lac rupees in return for dropping the demand to marry her, but she refused to yield.

Now, a complaint stands registered in Shankarnarayana police station. At the time of filing the complaint, Bajrang Dal district assistant convener, Vijay Kumar Shetty Goliangady, Abhimani Sports Club president, Santoshkumar Shetty Ardi, former taluk panchayat president, Deepika S Shetty, and some others had accompanied the girl.