Jodhpur woman raped, minor daughter abused by ex-Cong MLA, senior police officers; Case filed
Ex-Congress MLA Mevaram Jain and senior police officers, including an RPS officer, among nine people, have been booked for gang-raping a woman and molesting her minor daughter in Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan rape: A nine-member former Congress MLA was arrested by police in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan for allegedly raping a woman and abusing her adolescent daughter two years ago. According to police, the woman filed a complaint late on Wednesday night, accusing ex-Barmer MLA Mevaram Jain and RPS officer Anand Singh Rajpurohit, among nine people, of committing the crime in late 2021.
Based on the victim’s complaint, a case has been registered at Rajeev Gandhi Nagar police station in Jodhpur, police said.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that the suspect also raped a minor friend of hers and pressured her to bring other girls so that they could sexually exploit them. According to the FIR, two more police officers – Barmer SHO Gangaram Khawa and Sub-Inspector Daud Khan – and Pradhan Girdhari Singh Sodha are among those named as accused by the victim.
SHO Shakil Ahmad confirmed the FIR and said a report has been filed against Jain and eight others for gang rape, intimidation and threats.
“The victim claims that Jain has been raping her since 2021, while one Ram Swaroop, who had introduced her to Jain, has been raping her for the past five years,” the official said, stating that investigation into the case has been initiated.
The woman claimed that due to her father’s illness, she came in contact with Ram Swaroop from Barmer about five years ago and he assured to help her.
He took advantage of her vulnerability, raped her, recorded the acts and continued to sexually exploit her.
She stated that he introduced her to the then MLA from Barmer Jain at her flat in 2021 and alleged that they both raped her and have been raping her continuously since then. They also abused her teenage daughter, raped one of her friends and urged her to take other women with her.
She also alleged that the police officers and other suspects threatened her not to make the matter public and also forced her to sign some blank papers.
Ram Swaroop had also filed a case in Barmer in November 2022 against five people, including two women, for extortion and demand of Rs 50 lakh. In this case, the police had arrested the suspect.
Mevaram Jain was elected MLA from Barmer constituency thrice on the Congress ticket. However, he lost the last election to BJP rebel Priyanka Choudhary. He also held the position of Chairman of the Gau Seva Ayog.
More than a year ago, some explicit photos/CDs of Jain had surfaced, which Jain claimed were forged, and he filed a case with Kotwali police station in Barmer.
The Zonal Unit of Enforcement Directorate, Jaipur, has registered a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in this regard after it was learned that an exchange of Rs 5 crore allegedly took place in the case.
(With PTI inputs)