The Uttar Pradesh Police has registered a case against Virender Bahadur Pal, the former state secretary of the Samajwadi Party (SP), for allegedly raping a female lawyer who worked as his assistant. In addition to the rape allegations, Pal has also been accused of blackmail. According to sources by Times Now, Pal is currently absconding.
According to Mau City police, the alleged assault took place on September 6, and Pal allegedly abused and assaulted the victim in his chamber. As per the police FIR, the victim has alleged that Pal threatened her to prevent her from disclosing the incident.
Mau, Uttar Pradesh | SP’s #VirenderBahadurPal has been accused of raping a lawyer and blackmailing her. An FIR has been filed, but he is currently absconding.Since the SP leaders, their party, and their ecosystem have stood with rapists and thieves…Such SP members who were… pic.twitter.com/Ywo3RposhF
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 8, 2024
The case was registered under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace), 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc, with intent to commit an offence), and 64(2)(m) (rape repeatedly on the same woman) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“A complaint was given by a victim against a person named Virendra Bahadur Pal, for having an illegal relationship, assault on which case was registered. According to her application, the said person went to his chamber on the 6th of September and abused and assaulted her and also threatened her not to reveal any past facts,” said Mau City CO Anjani Kumar Pandey.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: CO Mau city, Anjani Kumar Pandey says, “A complaint was given by a victim against a person named Virendra Bahadur Pal, for having an illegal relationship, assault on which case was registered. According to her application, the said person went to his… pic.twitter.com/8TsqIwP3PN
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 8, 2024
Anil Kumar Singh, station house office of Kotwali Nagar police station in Mau, said that Pal, who is also an advocate, raped the woman for almost a year. He is currently absconding, and efforts are on to nab him.
“The woman alleged that Pal lured her into his car at a deserted location where he gave her a cold drink laced with sedatives and then forcibly raped her,” Singh told PTI.
He allegedly filmed the assault and used the video to blackmail her, continuing to exploit her physically and extorting Rs 4 lakh, he added.
The complainant also alleged that the accused last met her on July 16 and 17 at a hotel, where he again raped her. On September 6, when she confronted him to retrieve her vehicle, he thrashed her, abused her, and threatened to kill her, the officer said.
The police said that the victim filed the complaint at the police station in Mau City and a First Information Report was registered based on the complaint.
An investigation into the matter is underway, they added.
