Vadodara lawyer booked in rape case

The alleged incidents are stated to have occurred in February this year at the lawyer's office in Vadodara and at another location on May 22.

gujarat rapeThe FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. (Representational image)

A CRIMINAL advocate in Vadodara has been booked in connection with a rape case based on a complaint by a woman, police said on Monday.

On August 7, the police registered an FIR at a police station in Chhota Udepur district against Hitesh Gupta, his wife and an unidentified junior of Gupta after the complainant, who is in her mid-30s, alleged that she was sexually assaulted on two occasions and threatened with the circulation of purported private videos if she approached the police.

Gupta has denied all the allegations.

The FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The alleged incidents are stated to have occurred in February this year at the lawyer’s office in Vadodara and at another location on May 22.

According to the complaint, the woman came into contact with Gupta and his wife while seeking assistance regarding a rent agreement. She alleged that the couple subsequently offered her domestic work at their residence and office for Rs 15,000 a month. After working for nearly a month, she returned to her village following her father’s death due to illness. The woman has alleged that the lawyer’s unnamed junior later contacted her and brought her back to Vadodara. She alleged that in February, Gupta sexually assaulted her at his office despite her resistance.

The complainant also alleged that on May 22, the lawyer’s junior reached her village and persuaded her to accompany him and took her to a location, where she was “sexually assaulted by both the lawyer and his junior.” She also alleged that “caste-based abuse and threats” were directed against her.

Meanwhile, a group of lawyers marched to the office of the Range Inspector General of Police on Monday, demanding that the complaint against Gupta be investigated “without bias”.

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More

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