Shewale rubbishes rape allegations, accuses woman of underworld links

Shiv Sena (Shinde group) Lok Sabha member Rahul Shewale called for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into a case of a woman filing a rape complaint against him, alleging that she has connections with the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

With wife Kamini Shewale and his lawyer in tow, the MP addressed a press conference on Sunday where he sought an NIA probe into the "international conspiracy" to finish his political career. "The girl in question has ties with the Dawood Ibrahim gang. She has gone several times to Pakistan... I want the chief minister to ask the NIA to probe this girl," said Shewale.

He claimed that some elements of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) along with the NCP were behind the attempts to defame him. He also claimed that the woman tried to blackmail him.

The development came after Pune NCP leader Rupali Thombre Patil did a Facebook live broadcast on Friday with the 33-year-old woman, who accused Shewale of rape and exploitation. In the video, the woman alleged that Shewale had been exploiting her and that her police complaint against him earlier this year was not turned into a first information report despite her repeated attempts.