A teenager was allegedly kidnapped and taken on a terrifying ride across NSW after a request for marriage was turned down.
The 18-year-old woman was allegedly abducted from a home in Bankstown in Sydney's south-west in the early hours of Monday morning.
Her alleged kidnapper was Chafic Cheryala, a 31-year-old man she knew.
Police will allege Mr Cheryala asked the teen's parents for her hand in marriage but they refused.
After allegedly kidnapping the teenager, Mr Cheryala is accused of sexually assaulting her at spots around Sydney, including the Novotel in Brighton-le-Sands, before taking her to a Lakemba house where a "marriage" ceremony conducted by a sheikh took place.
The young woman told Channel 7 that her alleged captor, who is believed to be in Australia on a bridging visa, incorrectly thought the ceremony would seal his residency. The marriage is not recognised under Australian law.
Police allege Mr Cheryala started to drive the teen towards the Melbourne home of his cousin.
The teenage student spoke of her fear in an interview with Channel 7 on Tuesday.
"He lives overseas, but he doesn't have a visa here, so if he gets married here, the girl gets to put him here...he can stay here," she said. "It was scary. I just wanted to come back home to my family and not be with him. I can't stand him. I want to kill him."
Police caught up with the pair almost 400 kilometres from Sydney in Gundagai, near Wagga Wagga. Officers found the car they were in on the Hume Highway about 9pm on Monday night.
Mr Cheryala was taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station and charged with a string of offences, including kidnapping, indecent assault and sexual assault.
He is due to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.
The woman was taken to hospital in Wagga Wagga and is in a stable condition.
