Pune: Sena leader booked on rape charge, he says ‘conspiracy’
The complainant has alleged that Raghunath Kuchik raped her on multiple occasions in different places between late 2020 and early 2021 on the false promise of marriage.
3 min read
Pune Police has booked Kuchik under Sections 376 (punishment for rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). (Representational image)Senior Shiv Sena leader Raghunath Kuchik has been booked by Pune Police on charges of raping a 24-year-old woman by making false promises of marriage and then allegedly forcing her to terminate her pregnancy later. Kuchik (55) has called the case a “political conspiracy” against him and his family.
A First Information Report in this regard has been registered at Shivajinagar police station against Kuchik, who is deputy leader of Shiv Sena, general secretary of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, a Sena-backed trade union, and chairman of the Minimum Wages Advisory Committee of the Maharashtra government, which is a position of Minister of State rank.
The complainant has alleged that Kuchik raped her on multiple occasions in different places, including Pune and Goa, between November 2020 and February 2021 on the false promise of marriage. The FIR was registered in the early hours of Thursday after the woman recently approached the police. Kuchik has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 376 (Punishment for rape), 313 (Causing miscarriage without woman’s consent) and 506 (Criminal intimidation).
Senior Inspector Anita More, in-charge of Shivajinagar police station, said, “He (Kuchik) has been booked on charges of raping the woman on the false of promise of marriage and later terminating her pregnancy against her consent.” The FIR also states that Kuchik threatened to harm the woman if she told anyone about what was happening.
When asked whether Kuchik will be placed under arrest, Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said, “The arrest will depend on the progress in the investigation. As of now, a case has been registered and investigation is being conducted.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Kuchik said, “The case has been registered out of political conspiracy to defame me and my family. It is also a form of blackmail and an attempt to tarnish my work in the labour sector and my many years of social and political image. I have complete faith in the judiciary and the police department. I am confident that after the investigation, the truth will be out in my favour. I will not say much at this juncture but my legal team is working and in the next two days, I will give some detailed proofs and documents.”
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