Woman Accuses BJP UP Mahila Morcha Chief’s Son Of Rape

Apoorva Dwivedi, son of BJP Mahila Morcha Leader, Poonam Dwivedi, has been accused of raping a woman after allegedly falsely promising to marry her. The 28-year-old woman claims that Dwivedi forced her to have sex on the pretext of marrying her, HuffPost India reported. She also alleges that the Uttar Pradesh Police has been prolonging the probe in order to protect the accused.

The final report reveals that the police have interviewed witnesses, and conducted a doctor’s examination, and have found evidence to suggest a crime was committed under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (rape) and Section 420 (cheating).

In April this year, Supreme Court had passed a verdict which asserted that if a man has sex with a woman after promising to get married to her and then breaks the promise, the sex can be considered rape. However, the Apex court passed a new verdict last Thursday i.e August 22, which said that sex will only be considered rape if it is proved that the man gave false promises of marriage to the woman. It held that not every failed promise to marry can lead to a rape charge.

The final report of the case accessed by HuffPost reveals that the police have interviewed witnesses, and conducted a doctor’s examination, and have found evidence to suggest a crime was committed under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (rape) and Section 420 (cheating). The report is unsigned but is dated 2 June 2019, which matches with the date on which the woman received an automated SMS text message informing her that the charge sheet in her case was sent by Investigating Officer Brijesh Singh to Ashiyana police station on that same day.

ALSO READ: Sex On Pretext Of Marriage Is Rape: Supreme Court

He allegedly started to pressurize her more once they started living-in. “After the live-in situation, it was a fight every day. It was traumatic. After a while, I gave up,” she said.

The woman works as Human Resource personnel at a private company and says that she met Dwivedi on Tinder last year. They lived-in together for a month and a half in Lucknow and it was then that he forced her to sleep with him, she alleged. “He kept torturing me to get physical with him,” the woman told HuffPost India. “He kept saying it was totally fine because we would be getting married.”

He allegedly started to pressurize her more once they started living-in. “After the live-in situation, it was a fight every day. It was traumatic. After a while, I gave up,” she said.

Dwivedi works as the Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (ACIO) at the Intelligence Bureau in Lucknow. The 29-year-old has denied the allegations. His mother and leader of BJP Women’s Wing, Poonam Dwivedi accused the woman of using pressure tactics against them. She also alleged that the woman, the witnesses and the case are “frauds” and that the UP police had to start an investigation under pressure. Apart from this, she also claimed that the woman tried to extort money from the family but failed to provide any evidence to back her statement.

ALSO READ: Consensual Sex With Breach Of Promise To Get Married Not Rape: SC