Rajasthan: Nine Including Ex-MLA, Ministers, Cops Accused Of Rape

A woman from Rajasthan filed a FIR against former MLA Mewaram Jain and eight others, alleging them of raping her and a minor friend, as well as molesting her teen daughter, for years. The names of Minister Girdhar Singh Sodha and Rajasthan Police Officers, including Anand Singh Rajpurohit, Barmer Station House Officer Gangaram Khawa, and Sub Inspector Daud Khan, are included in the FIR. She claimed they had been raping her since 2021 and demanded to invite more women as well as film the incident.

A case has been registered at the Rajeev Gandhi Nagar Police Station in Jodhpur, police said. Confirming the FIR, SHO Shakil Ahmad said that a report has been filed against Jain and eight others alleging gang rape, intimidation, and threats.

The Grave Accusations

A police official told the media, "He has alleged that Jain has been raping her since 2021. While one—Ram Swaroop, who had introduced her to Jain—has been raping her for five years," as reported by Asian News International. The woman told the police that she took Ram Swaroop from Barmer when her father was ill, and he had taken advantage of her vulnerability under the pretence of helping.

Swaroop allegedly raped her, filed the act, and threatened her to continue sexually exploiting her. He was the one who introduced her to MLA Jain three years ago at her house and then allegedly raped her together. She alleged that they also molested her adolescent daughter, raped one of her friends, and insisted she bring other women.

She said that when she tried complaining to the police, they too assaulted her and threatened her to remain silent. They allegedly made her sign on some blank papers too. Notably, Ram Swaroop filed a case in November 2022 against five people, including two women, alleging sextortion and demanding Rs 50 lakh. The police had arrested the accused in this case.

Past Controversies and Political Connections

Former MLA Mewaram Jain from Congress was responsible for the Barmer constituency for three terms. This time, MLA Priyanka Choudhary defeated him. He has also held the post of chairman of the Gau Seva Ayog. A few years ago, some explicit pictures and CDs of Jain surfaced over the internet, which he had claimed to be morphed, and he filed a case at the Kotwali Police Station in Barmer.