Rape-accused Rajasthan minister’s son Rohit Joshi fails to appear before Delhi Police

JAIPUR/DELHI: Rohit Joshi, son of Rajasthan cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi, on Wednesday did not appear before Delhi Police in connection with a rape case in which he is accused.
According to police, a team from the north district had gone to Rohit’s family house in Jaipur last week for questioning but he was not found there. They had served a notice asking him to appear before the investigating officer by 1pm on Wednesday.
A senior officer confirmed that till 6 pm the suspect did not appear before the IO. Sources said police may serve another notice and will conduct raids in search of the suspect. Sources further said cops had also taken the statement of the woman in the case. Cops have also visited the spot where the incident took place.
Earlier this month, the 23-year-old complainant had visited Sadar Bazar police station along with her mother and filed a complaint of alleged sexual assault. She had claimed that Rohit assaulted her on multiple occasions.
According to police, the complainant came in touch with Rohit through a social media platform and on January 8, 2021, she along with the suspect and his friends went to Sawai Madhopur where he allegedly gave her a juice laced with sedatives and made a sexual relationship without her consent.
She had also alleged that she along with Rohit came to a hotel in Delhi’s Sadar Bazar in March 2022 where he made a sexual relationship with her. Police said since the alleged sexual assault took place in the jurisdiction of Sadar Bazar police station so the investigation has been started by the local police.
The case, filed at Sadar Bazar police station on May 8, was registered under Sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 312 (causing miscarriage), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage), 377 (unnatural offences), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.