This was not the first time Nitin Chawla, the owner of several pubs in Delhi-NCR, assaulted women. His background reveals that two years ago he was arrested in Mumbai for raping an aspiring Bollywood actress, but later released on bail. Delhi Police might question the Mumbai-based victim and his first wife, source said.
Chawla was arrested by Delhi Police after his wife — Priyanka Kapoor (25) allegedly hanged herself at their residence in Defence Colony area in the wee hours of Friday. Chawla who owns pubs in Greater Kailash-II and Gurgaon, has been arrested under the charges of cruelty and dowry death. Priyanka in her suicide note alleged that she was tortured and beaten up by Chawla and her mother-in-law.
“In October 2013, Chawla had assaulted a Mumbai-based Model who wants to be an actress. In April 2014, she filed a complaint at Dindoshi police station in Mumbai and he was arrested. Later in May 2014, he was released on bail,” said a senior police official in the South district who is close to the investigation.
He further added that the tainted past of Chawla came to light when the family members of Priyanka were questioned and Mumbai Police were contacted.
According to the case lodged in Mumbai, in 2011 Chawla met a model in a pub and fell in love. Later, after developing friendship with her, he proposed her for marriage. When she learnt about his wife and two children, Chawla promised her that he will divorce his wife soon. Meanwhile, he sexually assaulted her and threatened her by saying that he would get her father ousted from his job. “He also blackmailed her by forging her signature and issuing a cheque from her bank account to an unknown person.
In April, she filed a complaint at Dindoshi police station and Chawla was arrested under the sections of rape, cheating and forgery. In May 2014, he was released by the Bombay court with a bail bond of Rs 15,000,” the official said.
Soon after getting bail, he returned to Delhi and a few months later he met Priyanka in the launch of his pub in GK. After becoming obsessed for her, he allegedly divorced his wife and married Priyanka on January 6. But he used to beat her, assault her and demand expensive things in the form of dowry.