INDORE: Congress candidate for the Jobat assembly bypoll, Mahesh Patel, has been booked by police for allegedly threatening a rape complainant to withdraw the case registered against one of his relatives, Alirajpur SP Manoj Kumar Singh said on Saturday. Voting is a week away.
“The woman approached us on Friday with a complaint against Mahesh Patel. We have carried out videography of the victim and registered a case under IPC 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention),” Singh told TOI.
Patel denies the charges. “Alirajpur police has been conspiring against me and other party workers to help BJP win the by-election,” Patel told TOI, adding that he “has been in touch with the victim and her family members” and will hold a press meet with them on Sunday.
Cong neta accuses BJP leaders of pressurising victim
The victim was approached by BJP leaders and under their pressure, she has registered a false case against me. I will hold a press conference on Sunday, with the woman and her family members, to expose BJP,” Patel said.
The FIR against Patel was registered on Friday night. The previous day, at a press meet, the Congress leader had accused the Alirajpur SP and collector of threatening Congress workers and lodging ‘false’ FIRs against them at the behest of BJP. Patel said he feared a threat to his life from the SP.
“All the allegations leveled by Patel are false. We have registered cases against those involved in criminal activities and there is proof of offences committed by them,” SP Singh said, adding, “I am working as per the law and not under pressure of any political party.”
Alirajpur BJP district president Vakil Thakrala also rejected Patel’s allegations, saying: “The Congress party and its candidate have been leveling false accusations against BJP to save themselves from punishment for their misdeeds.”
The accused in the rape case, Akash Rawat, is out on bail. The woman had filed the complaint against him on March 1, 2021.
The SP said police will provide adequate security to her if they receive an application.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
