Pune: Irani Cafe Owner Arrested For Alleged Harassment Of Wife
Pune, 21st June 2023: Sayyed Mohammad Reza Ahmad Dekhanpur, the well-known owner of an Irani Cafe, has been taken into custody following serious allegations made by his wife, accusing him of both mental and physical harassment. The complainant further claims that her husband’s behaviour was influenced by the daughter of a prominent builder in the city.
The distressing incident unfolded when Dekhanpur allegedly demanded a staggering sum of Rs 9 crore from his wife, a practising dentist, in exchange for custody of their son. The Wanowrie police, upon receiving the 36-year-old woman’s complaint, promptly arrested Dekhanpur on Monday night.
Senior police inspector Bhausaheb Patare of the Wanowrie police station confirmed the arrest, stating, “We have apprehended Dekhanpur based on the complaint filed by his wife. He appeared before the court today and has been remanded into police custody for three days. The complainant has also accused Richa Bhansali-Agarwal of torture and harassment. Although Bhansali-Agarwal is currently evading capture, we are actively searching for her while continuing our investigation into the case.”
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant alleges that Dekhanpur not only subjected her to severe physical abuse but also coerced her into paying an exorbitant sum to secure custody of their 13-year-old son. Additionally, she accuses Bhansali-Agarwal, the daughter of a prominent developer, of threatening and inflicting harm upon her.
The FIR outlines the grim details: “Dekhanpur would confine me to a room for days without food and subject me to brutal beatings. I contemplated suicide, but my concerns for my son’s well-being prevented me from taking such drastic measures. I attempted to resolve our disputes amicably through counseling sessions at the Iranian consulate in Mumbai, but during one of these sessions, Dekhanpur seized my son’s passport and other essential documents. In March 2023, I lodged a complaint with the Wanowrie police station, which summoned Dekhanpur for questioning. Enraged by the complaint, Dekhanpur returned home and subjected me to a vicious assault.”
The complainant further revealed that she refrained from disclosing the incidents out of fear of defamation. In May 2023, she received a notice from the family court, alerting her to Dekhanpur’s petition for custody of their son. Allegedly, Dekhanpur demanded Rs 9 crore from her, purportedly to withdraw the custody petition through his lawyer. Seeking justice, the complainant, with the assistance of her father, lodged a formal complaint with the Wanowrie police.
The complainant and Dekhanpur entered into matrimony in 2004 in Iran before relocating to Pune. It was in January 2021 that the couple joined yoga classes in Koregaon Park, where they formed a friendship with Bhansali-Agarwal. The three individuals would frequently spend time together and even embark on treks.
The dentist alleges that ever since their association with the builder’s daughter, her husband’s behavior underwent a drastic transformation, becoming increasingly cruel towards her. In December, she reportedly discovered objectionable mobile conversations between Dekhanpur and Bhansali-Agarwal. Upon requesting that Bhansali-Agarwal distance herself from her husband, the latter hurled abusive language at her. To exacerbate matters, the victim alleges that Bhansali-Agarwal sent explicit pictures of herself and Dekhanpur to her email and Instagram accounts.
The Wanowrie police have registered a case against Dekhanpur and Bhansali-Agarwal under Sections 498 (A), 323, 504, 506 107, and 112 of the Indian Penal Code.
