Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Cong MLA charged with rape, kidnap

MENTALLY CHALLENGED GIRL ‘RAPED’

- Punya Priya Mitra letters@hindustant­imes.com

Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Hemant Katare has been charged with rape, illegal confinemen­t and kidnapping in two separate cases after a series of videos containing allegation­s and counter allegation hit the social media .

The case of rape and criminal intimidati­on was registered at the Mahila police station on Friday on the complaint of a 21-yearold girl, who also accused police officials of colluding with the MLA. The kidnapping case was filed at the Bajaria police station against Katare and three others following a complaint by the alleged rape survivor’s mother, SP (South) Rahul Lodha said.

Katare, who is the MLA from Ater, Bhind, was called to the crime branch office on Thursday night following which his mobile was seized as evidence.

The case has been in the limelight over the past fortnight because of a series of viral videos, in which the girl and her accomplice, who is still at large, have accused Katare of sexually exploiting her.

Katare too had released a video in which he defended himself.

Police sources said that on January 24, Katare complained that a girl was threatenin­g to frame him in a false rape and

BHOPAL:

Two youths were arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a mentally challenged minor girl in the industrial town of Haldia in East Midnapore district of West Bengal. The victim is a student of Class 8. Charges under the POCSO Act were slapped against the two accused, who are 29 and 37-year-old. “On the basis of a complaint filed by the father of the victim, the two were arrested. Medical test of the victim has been conducted,” said Tanmay Mukhopadha­ya, the Haldia sub divisional police officer. According to the complaint, the duo lured the girl with snacks, took her to an abandoned place and forced themselves on her. KOUSHIK DUTTA

MIDNAPORE:

attempted suicide case and demanding ₹2 crore for keeping quiet. The crime branch arrested the girl after she collected the first instalment of the decided amount from Katare.

Soon after the girl’s arrest, another video surfaced in which she was accusing the MLA of exploiting her. The MLA could not be contacted immediatel­y.

 ?? COURTESY: INDIAN EMBASSY, KATHMANDU ?? External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kathmandu on Friday. Swaraj earlier met CPN (Maoist Centre) leader, Prachanda.
COURTESY: INDIAN EMBASSY, KATHMANDU External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kathmandu on Friday. Swaraj earlier met CPN (Maoist Centre) leader, Prachanda.
 ??  ?? Mukesh Khanna
Mukesh Khanna

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