Nashik: Manmad Municipal Council (MMC) president and three others have been accused of kidnapping and gangraping a minor Dalit girl here.
Manmad City police has registered cases against MMC president Yogesh Patil and the three other accused.
One accused, Vinod Chandanshiv, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
The other accused — Anil Tribhuvan and Pintu Patole– are still absconding.
According to police, the girl residing in Chandanwadi went missing on January 6 and returned on January 9, the period which she complained of being kidnapped and gangraped by them.
A Nashik city court on January 15 directed the police to register cases and launch investigations.
The victim was sent to Nashik Mahila Griha (women’s home) after she gave her statement to the police.
Cases under various sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Atrocity Act along with IPC have been registered against the four accused.
Manmad Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Naresh Meghrajani told UNI today that the medical report of the victim was awaited and investigations were on.
Meanwhile, an all party delegation met the SDPO and gave a memorandum claiming that the rape charges against the four accused were made due to political motive.
The memorandum demanded an enquiry to probe the persons behind this act.
The delegation members included ex MLA Rajendra Deshmukh, Congress City chief Afzal Shaikh, NCP city chief Rajendra Pagare, Shiv Sena City chief Santosh Balid, BJP city chief Narayan Pawar, RPI city chief Dilip Narwade and prominent traders.
Patil, who belongs to the NCP, stated that the charges were made by his political opponents and demanded a CBI inquiry to exonerate him. (UNI)
