A local court here on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ram Pratap Goel, accused of gang-raping a woman after luring her with a party ticket to contest MCD elections.
Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Aggarwal rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Goel, saying that the custodial interrogation of applicant Goel is necessary to ascertain facts related to the case.
The court observed that the complaint was registered after accused Goel started blackmailing the woman by threatening to make her sex MMS viral.
"The custodial interrogation of the applicant (Goel) is necessary not only for locating the alleged MMS of the applicant but also for disclosing the particulars of places where the complainant was ravished as also the identity of the co-accused," the court said.
Although nothing adverse in respect of the antecedents of applicant (Goel) has been stated on behalf of the prosecution yet, the probability of investigation getting hampered and witnesses being influenced cannot be ruled out, it added
Complainant's counsel Pradeep Rana and Delhi Police have opposed the plea saying that the accused can tamper with the evidence.
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The other accused in the case is AAP MLA Rakhi Birla's father Bhupender.
An FIR was registered against Goel and Bhupender for allegedly raping the 24-year-old married woman.
The accused, meanwhile, have termed the allegations as "baseless" and said the case is politically motivated.
The accused are booked under sections 376D (gang-rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The woman in her complaint alleged that she was "exploited" by the accused at various places, including hotels and her own house and when she asked the leader about the ticket, he coaxed her to have intercourse with Bhupender.
--IANS
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