A dating app match, a live-in relationship, growing suspicion and then brutal torture — a 19-year-old student from Tripura is currently undergoing treatment at a Delhi hospital after allegedly being assaulted by her live-in partner. The accused, Shivam, 19, a resident of Delhi's Narela, has been arrested.
According to police, Shivam allegedly confined the teenager inside a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Gurugram, assaulted her with steel bottles, poured sanitiser on her private parts and attempted to set her on fire. The survivor's family has demanded strict action and exemplary punishment.
According to the FIR registered after police recorded the survivor's statement, the 19-year-old had moved to Gurugram from Tripura to pursue a BSc in Biotechnology at a private university. She was staying in a PG accommodation in Sector 69.
In September 2025, she connected with Shivam through a dating app. The two began meeting frequently and soon entered into a relationship. Shivam, who lived with his sister in Delhi and was reportedly looking for a job, later moved in with her. The survivor told police that they had plans to marry.
However, over time, Shivam allegedly began suspecting her of infidelity, following which physical and mental abuse started.
In her statement to police, the survivor alleged that Shivam brutally assaulted her on February 16 after an argument. She said he hit her on the head with a steel bottle and an earthen pot, banged her head against a wall, and poured sanitiser on her private parts before attempting to set them on fire.
She further alleged that he slashed her legs with a knife and threatened to beat her so severely that she would never "be able to walk or become a mother." The survivor also claimed that Shivam recorded nude videos of her to blackmail and silence her.
Two days after the alleged assault, on the night of February 18, the 19-year-old managed to call her mother using the accused's phone. Speaking in Bengali, which Shivam did not understand, she reportedly told her mother, "If you want to see me alive, come and find me."
Her mother, who is a police officer, immediately dialled the 112 emergency helpline. A Gurugram Police team reached the PG accommodation, rescued the survivor and took the accused into custody. She was initially admitted to a local hospital and later shifted to a Delhi hospital for advanced treatment. Reena Rai, a lawyer who works voluntarily on cases concerning people from the Northeast and is associated with Delhi Police as a regional representative, said the survivor's mother had approached them for assistance. Rai alleged that initially only mild sections were invoked and claimed there were attempts to dilute the case.
Police initially invoked sections related to wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt, sexual intercourse obtained by deceitful means and criminal intimidation.
However, Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar later said that rape and other relevant charges had been added to the FIR. "Whatever additional sections arise based on the doctors' opinions will also be applied. During police interrogation, the accused admitted to committing the assault," he said.
The investigation is ongoing.
