Rape is the fourth most common crime in India. The level of rape cases in the country is rising at an alarming rate. It is learnt that most of the rape cases were committed by someone known to the victim.
Not a long ago, the entire nation was shocked by the heinous rape and murder of the veterinary doctor in Hyderabad and after which, the 6-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death by her school belt in Rajasthan and then another shocking atrocity happened when a 9-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death.
Then a Hyderabad-like rape and murder incident took place at Kumarganj, South Dinajpur in West Bengal. Then again a 46-year-old Thailand woman was raped in Kerala by two men. It has been learnt that the Thai national visited India in order to meet her child in Kerala but she was raped. In Tamil Nadu, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her own father for over three months.
Recently, on 14 September 2020, a Dalit woman was gang-raped in Hathras district allegedly by four upper caste men. After battling for her life for over two weeks, 19-year-old woman passed away in a Delhi hospital.
In this article, we will look at the list of Indian politicians with rape charges:-
Anoop Sanda, Samajwadi Party:
In the year 2010, a woman on the condition of anonymity had accused the former MLA Anoop Sanda of allegedly raping her multiple occasions on the pretext of marriage. If reports doing the rounds are to be believed, the woman ran a beauty parlour for a living.
She was arrested and put behind the bars in May 2010 for making a scene at Sanda’s house in Sultanpur. Sanda’s wife lodged a complaint at the nearby police station adding that she had forcibly entered their residence. It was when the woman ransacked the home while also forcefully demanding money.
Bikram Singh Brahma, Indian National Congress:
Bikram Singh Brahma, the Assam Congress leader is one of the Indian politicians who was accused of rape. He faced accusations of rape from a married woman in the year 2013. According to a report, Brahma allegedly entered the woman’s house and then raped her.
The neighbours and villagers ran into the house after hearing the woman’s loud screams and captured Brahma. The villagers assaulted the politician. The local police detained the politician shortly afterwards where he faced suspension from his party.
Rohit Tilak, National Youth Congress:
It was learnt that a woman reportedly, filed an FIR against the politician Rohit Tilak, alleging that he raped her on multiple times. As per the FIR, Tilak promised to marry her.
Nonetheless, whenever she asked inquired about marriage, he would go on to physically abuse her. She also added that the leader forced her to perform unnatural sexual acts against her wish. The complainant had claimed, Tilak was under the influence of alcohol while sexually assaulting and beating her.
Shantilal Solanki, Govind Parumalani, Ajit Ramvani and Vasant Bhanushali, BJP:
It is quite shocking to come across politicians of the country raping a woman. A 24-year-old woman ran through an ordeal in life as she was gang-raped by BJP leaders. The woman lodged FIR against as many as ten people in 2017, including four BJP leaders, accusing them of alleged gang-rape.
As per a report, the perpetrators had allegedly forced her into indiscriminate sexual activity and then they blackmailed her after filming the rape incident. She had also alleged that the accused lured several girls and women into prostitution.
The entire gang then exploited them sexually after promising them lucrative job offers. After this horrific incident, Gujarat BJP suspended its four accused leaders with immediate effect.
M Vincent, Congress MLA Kovalam (Kerala) constituency:
Vincent was detained in the year 2017 because of a rape charge which was filed against him. A married woman had lodged a statement before the magistrate and police. She had accused him of rape and sexual harassment. The report went on to add saying that the politician allegedly made more than 900 calls to the lady in a span of a few months.
Ravindra Bawanthade:
Ravindra Bawanthade, former Maharashtra BJP leader was arrested on charges of rape in July last year. He was detained by the police after when a CCTV video of him forcibly kissing a teenage girl inside a bus spread like wildfire across all social media platforms. The girl lodged a compplaint after the video went viral on the internet.
She further claimed that it was the second time that Ravindra Bawanthade allegedly raped her inside a vehicle. In addition, she said that the politician had lured her promising her a job. She also further added that Bawanthade also promised to marry her.
Anisur Rahman, West Bengal BJP leader:
Anisur Rahman was detained by the police on the allegations of rape. According to the reports, a woman lodged a complaint at a nearby police station adding that he allegedly raped her for over ninety days and was also threatening her into not revealing the matter.
The police quickly took action by arresting Anisur Rehman and produced him in the local court, which remanded him to over three-day police custody.
Hemant Katare
In February 2018, the former Congress MLA from MP, Katare was booked for ‘rape and confinement’ of a lady, apart from extortion by the Bhopal police. As per a news report, Katare had earlier lodged a complaint that the 21-year-old woman was blackmailing him.
He further added that she was demanding money from him. If he fails to give money then the associate would upload videos of him with the woman. However, she sent a written complaint to the Bhopal DIG from jail adding that Katare raped her at his gym.
Kuldeep Singh Sengar
The Unnao rape case alludes to the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl on 4 June 2017 in Unnao, UP. On 16 December 2019, the former BJP member Kuldeep Singh Sengar was declared guilty of rape. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from UP was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 20 in the same year. In addition, Sengar was found guilty in the demise of girl’s father in judicial custody.
So far, two charge sheets had been lodged in the case. The first charge, filed by CBI on 11 July 2018, accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a former BJP leader of the rape. The second charge was filed two days afterwards accusing Sengar, including his brother, three policemen and five others of framing the rape survivor’s father as the perpetrator.