Karnataka BJP MLA Prabhu Chauhan’s son faces rape charges after allegedly promising marriage

A sexual assault case was registered on Sunday against Pratik Chauhan, son of BJP MLA Prabhu Chauhan, based on a complaint lodged at the Bidar Women’s Police Station, police sources told PTI.

According to the FIR, the accused allegedly repeatedly raped the victim between December 25, 2023, and March 27, 2024, after promising marriage and getting engaged to her.

As per the complaint, the victim, a 25-year-old woman from Maharashtra, was allegedly misled into believing that Pratik Chouhan would marry her.

On the basis of this assurance, he allegedly brought her to Bengaluru in September 2023 and committed the first assault in a hotel room.

The engagement was formally conducted on December 25, 2023, at the accused’s residence in Ghamsubai Bonthi Tanda, located in Aurad taluk of Bidar district, and was attended by family members.

However, the complainant alleged that despite repeated requests from her family, no date for the wedding was set. Instead, she was allegedly lured by the accused to various locations, including Latur and Shirdi, under the pretext of travel and religious visits, during which she was allegedly sexually assaulted multiple times.

The complaint further alleges that on one occasion, after coercing her to prove her love, the accused forced the victim to self-inflict a wound on her forearm, PTI reported.

When she hesitated, he allegedly took the blade and caused a deep cut himself. The matter came to light after the woman was taken to a hospital in Udgir for treatment, according to a report by PTI.

Efforts by the woman’s family to finalise the marriage were reportedly met with outright rejection.

The complainant said that on July 5, 2025, when the her family approached the accused person’s residence seeking a wedding date, both Pratik Chouhan and his father allegedly refused and told them to do whatever they wanted.

(This is a developing story)