MP K C Patel ‘extortion’ case: Woman in judicial remand

K C Patel, the BJP MP from Valsad, Gujarat.

The Delhi-based lawyer — accused of setting up a honey trap to extort money from Gujarat BJP MP KC Patel — was remanded in judicial custody for one day on Sunday. She pleaded before a trial court that she was being tortured in police custody. However, when she showed her “injuries” in court, the judge said they were not visible to the naked eye. The woman was produced before the court as her five-day police custody expired Sunday. Delhi Police arrested her Tuesday after an FIR was lodged against her based on a complaint by the Valsad MP, wherein he accused her of trying to extort money from him by making an objectionable video.

Advocate Shahid Anwar, appearing for the woman, said his client had been beaten up in custody and the scars were visible. But when the woman showed her injuries to Metropolitan Magistrate Neha Paliwal, she told the lawyer: “Mujhe nahin dikh raha hai.” Paliwal then told the lawyer, “But I’m putting your submission on record that your client was slapped and beaten in custody”. In her order, Paliwal noted, “A red mark is visible on her arm but it does not seem to be caused by slapping or beating.” The court then sent her to one-day judicial custody as the police did not seek further custody.

Paliwal, who was the “duty magistrate” on Sunday, said the matter should go back to the court of Special Judge (PC Act) Hemani Malhotra. “The Special Judge (PC Act) Hemani Malhotra’s court has proper jurisdiction over this case, therefore I am granting one-day judicial custody instead of three (as sought by police) and directing the police to present her before the special judge on May 8,” said Paliwal. The woman has been charged under Sections 384 (extortion), 389 (putting person in fear of accusation in order to extort), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, along with Section 8 (influencing public servant by corrupt means) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The woman had earlier accused the MP of repeatedly raping her in March. She had said on March 3, Patel had forced himself on her at his official residence “after being invited to his house”.

The woman said that this has happened several times and on the last occasion, she had made a video to “protect herself”. The woman’s lawyer Sunday also claimed that she was made to sign disclosure statements in custody. The metropolitan magistrate agreed to put that submission on record too. The case will come up for hearing next on May 11.