Raj minister’s son named in rape case

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Sunday filed a rape case against the son of a Rajasthan minister at Sadar Bazar police station in north Delhi on the complaint of a woman from Rajasthan who alleged that she was raped at several places, including in a hotel in Delhi, over several months.

Police said the accused, Rohit Joshi, is the son of Mahesh Joshi, minister of public health engineering department in the Rajasthan government. The minister on Sunday said “the law will take its own course”.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that on January 8, 2021, Rohit, whom she claimed to have met on social media, spiked her drinks during a party in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur, photographed her when she was unconscious and later used the pictures to blackmail and rape her on multiple occasions.

The woman has alleged that Rohit promised to marry her, adding that she even got pregnant later that year.

The woman claimed that though she was raped in several places, including a hotel in Delhi, at the office of Rohit’s friend and a farm house in Rajasthan, she never spoke about it before because of the accused’s threats and political influence.

Police said the woman approached Sadar Bazar police station on Saturday afternoon, after which they took her complaint and also arranged a counselling session for the woman. Police said they have registered a zero FIR (an FIR lodged irrespective of the place where the incident occurred) but the investigation will be done by the Rajasthan Police because the alleged crime happened in the neighbouring state.

“The case has been registered as per legal procedure. Police have filed a zero FIR at the Sadar Bazar police station and the case has been forwarded to the concerned police station where the alleged incident happened,” said deputy commissioner of police(North) Sagar Singh Kalsi.

When contacted, Mahesh Joshi said, “I have been informed about the case. I am getting the details. The law will take its own course.”