Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde refutes rape allegation, terms it blackmail

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Social and Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday refuted rape allegation levelled by a 38-year-old woman and said he is in a relationship with her since 2003.

In a post on Facebook, the NCP leader claimed that the woman and her sister are trying to blackmail him and extort money from him. He said that he had also given a complaint to the police in November 2020.

Munde said that he is in a relationship with the woman since 2003 and has two children with her. The minister said that their relationship is also accepted by his family.

After Munde accepted his relationship with the woman, BJP's women wing wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and demanded his removal from the Cabinet.

On January 11, the woman along with her lawyer arrived at the Oshiwara police station in Andheri to file a rape complaint against Munde. She stated in her complaint that she knows Munde since 1997.

She alleged that Munde is raping her by giving an assurance of marrying her and also promised to help her to get work as a singer in Bollywood.

Advocate Ramesh Tripathi, lawyer of the woman said that FIR has not been lodged in the matter so far.

"Munde first raped her in 2008 when she was alone at her home and shot video of it. Since then had repeated the act multiple times over the years. In 2019, he denied marrying her and said if she says something then he will leak the video on social media. The police station denied of lodging an FIR in the case. We will go to court. If anything happens to her, then Munde will be responsible," he said.