Drugged, Raped By Insta Friend: Mumbai Woman, 21, Seeks Help Publicly

A woman from Mumbai took to social media to share the story of the night she was raped by an online friend. The 21-year-old disclosed horrific details about the man, Heetik Shah, intoxicating her and taking advantage of her while she was unconscious. She shared the story on an Instagram account called 'Punish My Rapist' that she specifically made to bring the incident to light. She tagged the perpetrator in the post which is now being widely shared on social media, with netizens tagging Mumbai Police and the cyber cell in the comments. 

The post includes a front page saying, "My story: A night out to seeking justice", and a screenshot of the alleged rapist's text apologising to the woman. The post has over 82,000 likes and several comments. The Mumbai Police's official Instagram account commented, "We are grateful you duly reported it and we assure you that investigation should be rightfully done to ensure justice."

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Woman Shares Her Account Of The Incident

The survivor shared her horrific experience with Heetik Shah, who allegedly spiked her drink and raped her. The Mumbai-based woman said that they connected through Instagram and met for drinks on January 13. They met up with a few of his friends before heading to a popular restaurant, Bastian, for drinks. 

The woman wrote in the caption of the post, "After meeting a couple of his friends, we left for Bastian. After some tequila shots, I became intoxicated, feeling anxious and alone at the party. He insisted I drink more, and I had a blackout episode, not recalling what happened next."

The woman then alleged that she woke up to a horror. "I woke up to him raping me, and despite my efforts to stop him, he continued and even slapped me three times with intense rage, leaving me scared and intimidated," she further wrote. Moreover, Shah's friends allegedly physically assaulted her when she tried to defend herself.

"The place turned out to be his friend’s, and his friends intervened to protect him. He tried to get me out before I could call for help, even threatening me in their presence. After leaving, he attempted to flee the scene. I called my cousin to pick me up. Bruised and hurt, I couldn’t bring myself to tell my parents about that night," she wrote.

When the incident came to light, the woman's family filed an FIR against Shah, who has allegedly been booked under Sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. However, he has allegedly fled Mumbai. She wrote, "He has absconded because he knows what he has done. 12 days have passed and he hasn’t been arrested. He has applied for anticipatory bail.

The woman ended the post by looking out for other women. She wrote, "I seek justice and urge other girls to be more wary of who they talk to and go out with." The comments under the Instagram post reveal another devastating truth about how survivors are viewed when they open up about their experience. 

While earlier comments were in support of the woman, the post has attracted more criticism and cynical comments as it continued to grow more attention. One user wrote, "Why should I believe you?" while another criticised the woman for drinking and clubbing with the men. "You went into the tiger's cage knowing damn well of repercussions," they wrote.