Rajura rape case: Dhote quits Cong district chief post

Chandrapur: Facing widespread criticism over his controversial cash-for-complaint allegation about survivors of tribal hostel girls abuse case, Congress district president Subhash Dhote resigned from his post on Thursday. Police department has started gathering evidence related to Dhote’s statement, for which he has been booked under the Atrocity Act, and he is likely to be arrested soon, sources in police department said.
Sources said Subhash Dhote sent his resignation from the party post to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan on Thursday morning. MPCC has issued a press release stating that Dhote’s resignation has been accepted, and a new district president will be appointed soon.
Meanwhile, the police department wrote letters to all newspapers, electronic media offices and journalists unions, seeking the names of scribes who attended the press conference by Dhote and others, where they had made the controversial statement about tribals filing complaint to get monetary aid. Based on the complaint filed by one Birsa Kranti Dal, Ramnagar police had registered offences under Atrocity Act against Dhote on Wednesday.
Investigating officials claimed that they have started gathering evidence, both audio and video, regarding the statement made in the press conference. This evidence will be corroborated with statements of witnesses. They also did not rule out the possibility of arresting Dhote in the case.
Police have so far taken statements of 18 girls of the tribal hostel who suffered bouts of unconsciousness. However, only nine minor girls have filed complaints and seven of them have been found to have been sexually exploited in medical examination.
CID officials, with the help of local police, today produced the five accused arrested so far in the tribal girls abuse case before the sessions court. Their police custody remand was extended to April 28.
The five accused are hostel superintendent Chaban Pachare, deputy superintendent Narendra Virutkar, women caretakers Kalpana Thakre and Lata Kannake, and hostel security guard Venkatswami Jangam.