Woman held captive and tortured for months in Howrah after fake job offer
Times of India | 8 June 2025
Kolkata: A 22-year-old woman from Sodepur was allegedly held captive and brutally tortured for over three months by a social media influencer and her son in Domjur, after being lured with a fake job offer.The victim, who previously worked in a catering service, was promised employment in an event management company by one Aryan Khan, a youth in his early 30s. According to the complaint filed by her family, Aryan introduced himself as the son of the company's owner and brought the woman to his residence in Domjur in March. However, upon arrival, the woman was allegedly forced to work at a bar-cum-restaurant under the pretext of an event management job and was pressured to engage in exploitative activities. When she resisted, she was reportedly confined in the house and subjected to severe physical and mental abuse. "According to the complaint, she was not allowed to leave and to get in touch with her family. They made her do all the household chores and tortured her brutally," a senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said. According to the FIR lodged at Khardah Police Station, the woman was seared with cigarette butts, had her hair forcibly cut, and was beaten with iron rods. She also alleged sexual assault and named Aryan Khan and his mother, Shweta Khan — a social media content creator — as the main accused. The young woman managed to escape late Friday night and returned to her home in Sodepur's Deshbandhu Nagar, Sukhchar. Her family, shocked by her injuries, rushed her to the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment in critical condition. Police have launched a manhunt for the accused duo, who reportedly went into hiding. "A raid was conducted at their Domjur residence, but both Aryan and his mother, who have a criminal past, were found absconding. Efforts are on to trace them," a senior police official said. The victim's family has demanded strict legal action and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.