High Court notice on plea by woman who accused R'than minister's son of rape

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea moved by a woman, who has accused a Rajasthan Minister's son of rape, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to him by a lower court in the national capital.

The 23-year-old woman had alleged that Rohit Joshi, the son of Rajasthan Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Mahesh Joshi, raped her multiple times for over a year.

Seeking the responses of the state among other respondents, the bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna posted the next hearing for August 23.

The woman's plea was moved through Advocates Monish Panda and Abhishek Pati while Advocate Amit Sahni, Additional Public Prosecutor appeared for the state.

In the plea, the woman (petitioner) contended that the trial court failed to consider the material aspects and settled principles of law while granting anticipatory bail to accused Rohit Joshi.

"The trial court failed to consider the nature and gravity of the accusation, the severity of the punishment in the event of conviction, the danger of the accused missing or fleeing, if released on bail, character, behaviour, means, position, and standing of the accused; likelihood of the offence being repeated; reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being influenced; and danger of justice being thwarted by grant of bail and adhered to the merits of the case while passing the impugned order," read the plea.

It was also pointed out in the plea that the accused is highly influential and can cause problems during the probe.

In her earlier complaint, the woman claimed she was raped several times between January 8, 2021, and April 17, 2022.

The complainant mentioned that she was raped in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.

In May, taking to Twitter, she had alleged that there were hindrances created in the case.

"Rajasthan government in 2019 had directed to register FIRs at SP office from June; in case police stations not registering the complaint, the CM had also directed that a departmental inquiry must be made in connection with all the cases where a police station refuses to register FIR."

In another tweet, she said: "Zero FIR filed in Sadar Bazaar police station Delhi is under investigation. But I have serious questions to DGP regarding police administration. Why the FIR was not registered by @PoliceRajasthan," she said tagging the Rajasthan police.