A Delhi court on Saturday granted anticipatory bail to Lok Janshakti Party MP Prince Raj in a rape case.
Special Judge Vikas Dhull granted the relief to the politician on a bond of ₹1 lakh and one surety of like amount, saying there was “unusual delay” in lodging the FIR against Mr. Raj by the complainant. “In the event of arrest of applicant, the investigating officer (IO)/ station house officer of Connaught Place police station is directed to release the accused on his furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 lakh with one surety in the like amount,” the judge said.
The judge also directed Mr. Raj to join the investigation and not “threaten, pressurise or contact the prosecutrix.”
Blackmail, extortion
In its 25-page order, the court accepted the argument made by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, counsel for Mr. Raj, that the complainant and her male friend were extorting money and blackmailing his client since 2020. The judge played an audio recording before the court in which the friend was heard threatening to upload objectionable videos and pictures of the accused on Facebook and noted that the call, according to Mr. Raj, was made to his relative.
The court also noted that the transcripts of another audio recording show the alleged victim had told the friend that whatever happened between her and Mr. Raj “was as per mutual understanding and with consent of each other.” “In another transcript, the prosecutrix is threatening to make a video viral which she had prepared to put the reputation of the accused at stake,” the court noted.
It noted from the arguments of advocate Nitesh Rana, also appearing for Mr. Raj, that there were more audio and video recordings of such nature. “All the facts show that it was the prosecutrix who was trying to threaten the accused and she also corroborated the allegations made in the FIR lodged by the accused that they had consensual physical relationship,” the judge noted.
“The custodial interrogation is not required as nothing is to be recovered from him,” the court said.