Help alleges rape by IFS officer,he says it’s a bid to tarnish image

Shukla has denied the allegations. “These are allegations to tarnish my image. She was like family. We would take her for outings and gave her all the liberties. If she had a problem,why didn’t she inform anyone then? We came back to India in April 2010 and she waited till yesterday to inform the police,” said Shukla.

He also claimed that he has the receipts of every payment made to the woman through money transfer.

The woman,who is from Jharkhand,reportedly came to Delhi in 2006 and had been living with her aunt,who works for one Anand Tyagi. She told the police that Tyagi had recommended her to Shukla. “He (Shukla) told my aunt that he would be posted in Kenya for one-and-a-half years and since he was going with his wife Anita and their two children he would require a domestic help from India.”

On the charges,Anita Shukla,who worked as an attache at the same office,said: “She broke her leg once and I tended to her for 15 days. How can she do this to us?”

The woman left with Shukla and his family for Nairobi in February 2007. She has also alleged that Shukla threatened to kill her.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said: “An inquiry is on. An FIR has been registered under Section 376/506 (rape and threat) of the IPC.”

A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said: “The matter has just come to the Ministry’s attention. It will be looked into with all the seriousness.”