Patna, Jan. 18: A West Champaran youth has landed in trouble after a 41-year-old woman employed with the US defence services and currently posted in Afghanistan accused him of sexually exploiting her on the pretext of marriage.

The youth, aged about 26 years and the son of a leading businessman of Mainatand in West Champaran district, was picked up today for interrogation on the directive of the state police headquarters.

The Telegraph is withholding the name of the youth as he is yet to be arrested and formally charged.

The woman lodged a complaint with director-general of police Abhayanand by email three days ago. The lady, whose name has been kept under wraps, said she had arrived at Patna on December 29 last year on the request of the youth, who she described as her "boyfriend". The youth, according to her email, wanted her to attend his birthday and celebrate the New Year together. He told her that he was pursuing engineering from a reputed institute.

After landing in Patna, the two went to Bodhgaya and stayed there in a hotel for three days. She suspected foul play when he asked her to pay the hotel bills and also purchased some valuables with her money.

She alleged that the youth established a physical relationship with her at Bodhgaya and promised marriage. She returned to Afghanistan a few days later. "But he has failed to keep his promise and I feel cheated now," she said.

The woman, who is of Filipino descent, said she could not protest earlier because she apprehended a threat to her life. She said the youth, who had introduced himself as a resident of Motihari ' which is in East Champaran district ' had sent two persons to receive her at the Patna airport. "But I refused to go with them as I didn't know them," she said in her complaint.

Sources said during interrogation, the youth said that he came in contact with the lady, who is with the US airbase in Afghanistan, in October last year. "We became friends through a social networking site. I had invited her to attend my birthday and she came to Patna on my request," police sources quoted the boy as saying.

Gaya police chief Vinay Kumar said a complaint had been lodged against the youth at Bodhgaya on the basis of the woman's email.