Former Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut, family booked on daughter-in-law’s complaint of cruelty, marriage fraud | Mumbai News
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 12, 2026 02:38 PM IST
Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut, his wife Shamal, son Gitesh Raut and four others have been booked by the Kapurbawdi police in Thane after his daughter-in-law alleged she was deceived into marriage, subjected to physical and mental cruelty, and forced to undergo alleged black magic rituals.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Girija Raut, 38, who married Gitesh Raut on December 3, 2017. She alleged that before the marriage, the Raut family falsely claimed Gitesh owned multiple properties, including a flat in a posh Vakola building and a bungalow, and assured her that the couple would live there after the wedding.
Instead, she alleged, she was taken to a slum residence in Vakola immediately after the marriage. When her parents questioned the family over the alleged deception, they were allegedly abused and threatened.
Girija further alleged that she was forced to quit her job and work in her husband’s transport business without financial independence. She claimed that they travelled together across India and abroad, including Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Dubai, Kenya and Thailand, adding that she was repeatedly assaulted, humiliated and subjected to mental harassment.
According to the FIR, between 2018 and 2022, her husband and in-laws allegedly took her to self-styled godmen in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, where she was forced to participate in occult rituals, including consuming cow urine and undergoing ceremonies involving lemons and scissors..
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Gitesh Raut, Vinayak Raut, Shamal Raut and several others, including persons alleged to have conducted the rituals. The investigation is underway.
Denying the allegations, Vinayak Raut said the complaint was a fallout of an ongoing divorce dispute. He claimed Girija had demanded Rs 5 crore, a 3-BHK flat, an automatic car and Rs 2 lakh in monthly maintenance during mediation, which the family refused.
Story continues below this ad
“The allegations made against my family are completely false. We will respond before the court,” Raut said, adding that the next hearing in the matrimonial case is scheduled for July 23.
Raut also questioned the timing of the FIR, saying the alleged incidents dated back to 2018-22 but were reported only this year. He claimed Girija had been living separately from his son for the past three years and later increased her settlement demand to Rs 12.60 crore, a 3-BHK flat and Rs 5 lakh in monthly maintenance.
Girija denied seeking money from the family.
“My only expectation was to have a happy married life with my husband and to live peacefully with the family. Instead, I was subjected to harassment and humiliation,” she said.
Police have not commented on the allegations, which remain under investigation.
20
584226
20
20
