Woman alleges molestation in Mumbai BJP leader's office on I-Day last year

Mumbai, Sep 23 (IANS) The Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against two persons for allegedly molesting a woman BJP worker inside a Municipal Corporator's office when the nation was celebrating Independence Day last year, at the height of the pandemic lockdown.The incident sparked off a bitter political row between Maharashtra's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the latter questioning why the issue was being raked up after one year by the victim.According to the victim's complaint, the incident took place on August 15, 2020 when one of the accused had called her to the Vazira Naka office of BJP Municipal Corporator Anjali Khedekar.The accused, said to a local BJP Ward leader, promised to help her join the party, called her to Khedekar's office and then allegedly molested her inside the premises late that evening.The victim said that after she went to the office, the accused downed the shutters, switched off the lights, molested her and said she would have to compromise if she wanted to work in the party.She said that she got up and walked out of the office and five days later complained verbally to local BJP MLA Sunil Rane.When there was no response, she later gave a written complaint to the Mumbai North BJP MP Gopal Shetty, but it remained ignored.Finally, she approached the Borivali Police Station on Wednesday to register her complaint which was lodged invoking Indian Penal Code Section 354 (molestation) but no arrests have been made, said Senior Police Inspector Sudhir Kalekar told media persons.
--IANS qn/vd