Mumbai:
Even as actor Shiney Ahuja was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment on Wednesday for raping his domestic help, his victim is now engaged to be betrothed, according to sources close to her family.
The source, who has also been supporting the girl's family financially, said, "Her engagement was arranged by her uncle in Alibaug three months ago. Since then, she has been in Mumbai and will now get married."
Her family, meanwhile, has been keeping a low profile after the girl retracted her statement in the court saying that she was not raped.
The source related that her family is no more concerned about the case and only want the girl to get married. The girl has hardly been staying in her village since Shiney was released on bail the first time.
For the last three months, she has been in Mumbai at her uncle's place. Before that she was at a kin's place in Alibaug," the source said.
We spoke to her kin in Mumbai to ask what the family has to say about the verdict.
He said, "We don't wish to comment on it. We have nothing to do with it." Asked if the victim has got engaged, he said, "I don't want to say anything. She is fine."
The girl's marriage had always been preying on her family's mind, after she was victimised.
MiD DAY was the first to visit the victim's place on October 3, 2009, and interview the family right after Ahuja was released on bail.
Back then, the girl's parents had said that they were worried that no one will marry their daughter.
Coming from a farmer family from a village in Roha, 120 km from the city, she has four other siblings.
Her father, a farmer, and siblings stay in the village, while her mother lives with her.
The family, financially deprived, had earlier said that the girl was suicidal after the incident, and that they had supported her through her traumatic period.
"She had a number of proposals for marriage, but after the incident, none of them came forward," he had told MiD DAY.
Shiney Ahuja was arrested on June 15, 2009 after the maid's medical tests confirmed sexual assault.
The 20-year-old had lodged a police complaint earlier in the month, alleging that she was raped by Shiney (37 then) while she was working at his residence. The actor was arrested.
In August 2009, the case was moved to a fast track court. Shiney was granted bail in October and was ordered to stay out of Mumbai.
After over a year, in September 2010, the maid did a volte-face and told the court that she wasn't raped, despite medical reports proving otherwise.
She stated before the judge that she had accused Shiney because of pressure from a woman who had introduced her to the actor.
Shiney's lawyer Shrikant Shivade said that relying mostly on the police complaint filed against the actor, the court did not accept the maid's reversal.
In a 109-page chargesheet, Shiney was accused of rape, criminal intimidation and holding his maid hostage. In his defence, Ahuja had argued that he was being framed.
On March 30, 2011, the fast track court announced the verdict to the actor and sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.