The police, as part of their attempts to locate the woman, had stuck a notice addressed to her father outside her residence, identifying her by name.
A letter purportedly written by the woman who has accused BJP leader and former Abdassa MLA Jayanti Bhanushali of rape is circulating on social media, requesting the police not to take any action on her application levelling the allegations.
Bhanushali, who was the vice-president of the Gujarat BJP, resigned soon after the allegations went public.
A 21-year-old woman from Surat had sent the application through an acquaintance to the applications receiving centre of the Surat police commissionerate on July 10. In the application, she alleged that Bhanushali had raped her after having promised to get her admission in a college of her choice in Ahmedabad.
The police, as part of their attempts to locate the woman, had stuck a notice addressed to her father outside her residence, identifying her by name. The notice sought the woman’s appearance before the police in connection with her allegations.
The inquiry on the basis of her application was forwarded to the Sarthana police inspector from Kapodara.
On Monday evening, a typed letter signed with the woman’s name, was circulating on social media in Surat. The letter, addressed to the Sarthana police inspector, said, “I am a victim girl who had made allegations against Jayanti Bhanushali and request you not to take action on the application.” The letter claimed that she was not in a “good mental condition” and that she would record her statement with the police in due time. The letter is written in Gujarati.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sarthana police inspector N D Chaudhary said, “I have also come across such a letter, which has gone viral on different WhatsApp groups. I have not received any such letter and nobody has contacted us in relation to such a letter.”
Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma had earlier told The Indian Express, “The applicant did not approach the police station, but left her application with Police Commissioner’s application receiving centre. We have not yet registered an FIR. First our policemen will contact the applicant and find out if she stands by the allegations.”
Earlier this week, Bhanushali had tendered his resignation from the party post to Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani.
He sought a fair probe into the matter, while accusing some “elements” of defaming him.