Bhiwandi gang rape case: Verdict on Narendra Pawar's bail reserved till September 28
Court reserves order on former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar's anticipatory bail plea in a farmhouse gang rape case in Bhiwandi taluka.
The Bhiwandi additional sessions court on Thursday heard the anticipatory bail application of former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar in a case involving the alleged gang rape of a woman at a farmhouse in the Bapgaon area of Bhiwandi taluka. After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the court reserved its order on the application till September 28.
A case has been registered at Padgha police station against Narendra Pawar and dismissed policeman Shailesh Patil under gang rape charges as well as sections of the Arms Act. According to the complainant's allegations, the incident took place at a farmhouse in Bapgaon. Pawar has denied all the allegations, calling them false. The allegations have not yet been proven in court.
Padgha police opposed the anticipatory bail application, telling the court that the arrest of the accused was necessary to collect and seize evidence linked to the case. Police said the DVR of the CCTV cameras installed at the farmhouse is missing and still needs to be recovered. They also said it was necessary to seize the car allegedly used in the incident.
Pawar's lawyer produced chat records in court to rebut the allegations, claiming that his relationship with the complainant was consensual. According to the lawyer, the woman later made certain demands that could not be met. The defence also claimed that after the incident, the woman had come to Pawar's house for Ganesh darshan, and that the case was filed only after her demands were not met.
The defence further alleged that the woman had recorded a video with the intention of implicating Pawar later, and that if she had time to record a video, she could have called the police or someone else for help at that time. The investigating officer told the court that the farmhouse gate operated by remote control and that the woman knew she could not escape from there. According to the investigating officer, the woman had tried to call for help, but mobile network was not available at the farmhouse.
Besides the gang rape charges, Pawar and Patil have also been booked under sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act. Pawar had sought anticipatory bail along with interim protection from arrest. On Wednesday, the court had refused to grant him interim relief and had sent notices to the investigating officer and the complainant seeking their response.
