Who is Heetik Shah? Mumbai woman accuses Instagram friend of rape after getting her intoxicated at Bastian’s

While people in India are closely following the Pune Porsche crash case and accusing influential construction entrepreneur Vishal Agarwal of abuse of power to keep his minor son out of jail, a woman from Mumbai recently spoke out about the injustice that has been done to her. A 21-year-old woman from Mumbai recently took to Instagram to accuse a man named Heetik Shah of raping her after he got her drunk at the upscale restaurant Bastian. The Instagram username Punishmyrapist shared her story of how she was raped and Heetik Shah was granted interim bail despite filing an FIR. Below is what the 21-year-old woman from Mumbai wrote:

“I am a 21-year-old girl from Mumbai and this is my story. I decided to hang out with a guy I had talked to on Instagram and we had a few mutual acquaintances. What I thought was going to be a fun night turned into the most traumatic experience of my life.

Heetik Shah and I went out drinking and partying in the city. We started at location A. After meeting a few of his friends, we went to Bastian’s place. After a few tequila shots, I was drunk and feeling anxious and alone at the party. He insisted I drink more and I blacked out and couldn’t remember what happened next. I suspect I may have been given knockout drops. I woke up to him raping me and despite my efforts to stop him, he continued and even hit me three times in his intense rage, leaving me scared and intimidated.

It turned out to be his friend’s place, and his friends intervened to protect him. He tried to get me out before I could call for help, and even threatened me in their presence. After he left, he tried to flee the scene.

I called my cousin to come pick me up. Bruised and in pain, I couldn’t bring myself to tell my parents about that night.

When my family found out, they were stunned. I filed a complaint against him that week. His apology this morning means nothing to me and he has gone into hiding because he knows what he has done. 12 days have passed and he has not been arrested. He has applied for provisional release.

Heetik Shah (the accused) was charged under Sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 323 (punishment for intentional causing hurt) of the International Penal Code (IPC).

I’m seeking justice and urging other girls to be more careful about who they talk to and date. If you have any links/resources/advice/connections/NGOs that could help me, DM me! It would mean the world to me.”

The woman also shared a text message she apparently received from Heetik on Snapchat. In the message, Heetik allegedly apologized to the girl.

Who is Heetik Shah?

Heetik Shah reportedly lives in Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. Heetik came in contact with the 21-year-old woman through social media, after which she met him in person on January 13 and visited some restaurants and bars.

According to reports, in his pre-arrest bail plea, Heetik Shah claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case and claimed that the woman’s complaint was a “result of a post-mortem revenge”. In his plea, Heetik Shah claimed that the sexual advances were initiated by the woman and not him, adding that everything that happened between the two was completely consensual.

Heetik further stated that the woman was trying to extort money and tarnish his family’s image. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the Additional Sessions Judge granted interim bail to Heetik Shah after hearing all the parties.

It is important to mention here that Heetik’s photo with Orry also appeared on X.