'Repeatedly raped her': BJP MLA Prabhu Chauhan's son booked for sexually assaulting 25-year-old woman; promised to marry her

NEW DELHI: A case of sexual assault has been registered against Pratik Chauhan, son of BJP MLA Prabhu Chauhan, following allegations that he repeatedly raped a 25-year-old woman from Maharashtra after promising to marry her. The complaint was lodged at the Bidar Women’s Police Station in Karnataka on Sunday. According to FIR, Chauhan allegedly began a relationship with the woman two years ago and later assured her that he would marry her.

Based on this promise, she says she travelled with him to various locations and was sexually assaulted multiple times between December 2023 and March 2024. The woman alleges the first assault took place in a Bengaluru hotel room in September 2023. A formal engagement ceremony was held on 25 December 2023 at Chauhan’s family residence in Ghamsubai Bonthi Tanda in Aurad taluk, Bidar, in the presence of both families. Despite this, the victim says her repeated requests — and those of her family — to fix a wedding date were ignored. Instead, she claims she was lured on trips to Latur and Shirdi under the guise of religious visits, during which she was sexually assaulted again.

In a particularly disturbing allegation, the complaint says Chauhan once coerced her to prove her love by self-harming. When she hesitated, he allegedly used a blade to inflict a deep cut on her forearm. The injury was treated at a hospital in Udgir. On 5 July 2025, when the woman’s family visited the accused's residence to press for a wedding date, they were allegedly told by Chauhan and his father to “do whatever they wanted”, according to the complaint. Police say a case has been registered and further investigation is under way. There has been no official response from the Chauhan family so far.(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)