Case filed against Akhilesh Yadav's party leader for raping a woman in Uttar Pradesh

The plaintiff claimed that she had assisted Virendra Pal in his legal work. (Representation)

Mau, UP:

A local leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP) has been charged with repeatedly raping and threatening to kill an 18-year-old woman in Mau district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday.

Anil Kumar Singh, SHO of Kotwali Nagar police station in Mau, said the accused Virendra Pal, who is also a lawyer, raped the woman for nearly a year. He is on the run and efforts are on to arrest him.

The plaintiff claimed that she had assisted Virendra Pal in his legal work.

The woman alleged that Virendra Pal lured her into his car at a deserted place, gave her a cold drink laced with sedatives and then forcibly raped her, the SHO said.

He allegedly filmed the assault and used the video to blackmail her, continue to physically exploit her and extort Rs 400,000 from her, he added.

The plaintiff also claimed that the defendant last met her on July 16 and 17 at a hotel, where he raped her again. On September 6, when she confronted him to get her vehicle, he beat her, abused her and threatened to kill her, the official said.

Based on the woman's complaint, an FIR was filed against Virendra Pal on Saturday under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 115(2) (intentional causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 123 (assault by means of poison for the purpose of committing an offence) and 64(2)(m) (punishment for rape).

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