Sharad Pawar demands ACP-level probe into rape allegations against NCP's Dhananjay Munde

Amid the serious 'rape charges' alleged by a woman on Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday, demanded an ACP-level woman officer to probe into the issue. This development comes a day after Pawar mulling to sack Munde from his cabinet post, after a woman accused Munde of 'sexually abusing' her since 2006, as per reports. Munde has refuted the rape charges accusing the woman of 'blackmail', while admitting to having a relationship with the victim's sister, with whom he has two children.

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What has Munde been accused of?

As per reports, a Mumbai woman filed a complaint on January 12 against senior NCP minister & Ajit Pawar's close aide - Dhananjay Munde (45), alleging that he had sexually abused her since 2006, demanding that he be booked for rape. While the Mumbai police are yet to file an FIR in the case, they have called both the victim and Munde, to record their statement. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had demanded Munde's resignation and registering the FIR.

Munde, on the other hand, admitted that he was in a relationship with the complainant's elder sister and has two children with her since 2003. On Tuesday, he said, "I have given my name to both children. Even on their school records, I am their father. In fact, my family has accepted them as family members." After Munde's remark, Pawar had termed it a 'serious charge', mulling to ask Munde for his resignation.

The case took another twist when ex-BJP MLA Krishna Hegde alleged that the same woman had been texting him since 2010 till 2015 to set a 'honey trap', seeking a relationship with him, state reports. Hegde has also claimed that MNS leader Manish Dhuri too had faced similar 'harassment' from the same woman apart from another private individual too. Munde has reportedly gotten a restraining order from the Bombay High Court to stop the complainant's elder sister from publishing photos and articles of him on social media, adding that then the complainant started 'blackmailing' him. 

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Meanwhile, BJP's Kirit Somaiya has filed a complaint against Munde with the Election Commission of India for non-disclosure and concealment of facts about wives, children and properties. In contrast to that, Leader of Opposition - Devendra Fadnavis has said that 'we must wait for the probe's outcome'. Munde is part of the cabinet of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

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