Musician, an accused in three rape cases, arrested

NEWDELHI: The Delhi Police Monday arrested a 35-year-old man, a musician by profession, who has at least three separate cases of rape registered against him.

Police said in two of the three cases, they found the man had befriended women t hrough social media and lured them to his south Delhi’s Jungpura home where he allegedly confined them for days and raped them. Police did not give out details of the third case registered in 2009.

Sanat Bindra, a diploma holder in sound engineering, who started a music band, allegedly raped women after inviting them to his home for parties, Ram Gopal Naik, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said. Bindra was declared a proclaimed offender in two of the three cases.

One of the women, who filed a case in January this year, accused him of confining her to his home for seven days and raping her several times. She alleged that Bindra locked her in his soundproof recording room on the top floor of his house. She also accused him of torture and assault.

Another woman, in her complaint filed in 2013, accused Bindra, his brother and their friend of allegedly confining her to his home for three days and raping her. All three were arrested and were later let out on bail. A city court declared Bindra a proclaimed offender as he stopped attending the court hearings, a police officer, associated with the probe, said.

DCP Naik said the woman, who filed a case in January 2018, told the police that she had met Bindra on a social networking site. Bindra won her confidence after some days of chatting and phone calls.

“He invited her to his house for a party and she accepted. When she went there, Bindra confined her for seven days, raped and tortured her,” Naik said.

A case of wrongful confinement and rape was registered but Bindra fled and could not be arrested. On June 8, a city court declared him a proclaimed offender (PO).

A ₹20,000 reward was also announced on his arrest by the city police. During the probe, investigators learnt that Bindra was already a declared PO in the case registered in 2013.

A crime branch team was tasked to arrest Bindra.

“On September 15, Bindra was caught from near Lajpat Nagar Metro station based on a tip-off,” Naik said. “Bindra used to befriend women on social media and then sexually exploit them. Investigations are on to find out if women were victimised,” a police officer said.