Ganesh Naik ‘rape case’: Fadnavis orders probe into allegations

Deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into allegations made by a woman who accused Airoli BJP MLA Ganesh Naik of rape and recently claimed she was instigated by Belapur BJP MLA Manda Mhatre and Navi Mumbai Shiv Sena chief Vijay Chougule. Mhatre and Chougule denied the allegations, claiming the woman was pressured. A high-level inquiry has been requested by Mhatre to investigate the allegations. The inquiry will be conducted by the crime branch, and a woman officer of Anti-Human Traffic Unit will inquire into the matter.

NAVI MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into the allegations made by a woman, who had first accused Airoli BJP MLA Ganesh Naik of rape and recently claimed that she was instigated by Belapur BJP MLA Manda Mhatre and Navi Mumbai Shiv Sena chief Vijay Chougule.

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Denying the allegations, Mhatre and Chougule, had claimed that the woman was pressured to make the new allegations.

With claims and counter claims being made, Mhatre last month submitted letters to chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asking for a high-level inquiry by a senior official to investigate the allegations made by the woman. Mhatre also asked for security for the woman and her family.

Mhatre has said in the letter, “It needs to be investigated why the woman has changed her stance, if someone is pressuring her, if she has written the letter under that pressure and also the allegations that she had made against Ganesh Naik.”

The letter was forwarded by the home ministry to Navi Mumbai commissioner of police Milind Bharambe, with directions from Fadnavis for ‘action after investigation’.

Confirming the order, Bharambe said, “The inquiry will be conducted by the crime branch.” The probe is being handled by additional commissioner of police (crime) Deepak Sakore. Sakore said, “A woman officer of Anti-Human Traffic Unit (AHTU) will inquire into the matter.”

Welcoming the probe, Mhatre said, “The inquiry will reveal the truth as I have been maligned despite not having anything to do with the issue. It will also reveal who is behind the allegations against me. It is a conspiracy against me as I have a very clean record and my work speaks for me over the years.”

“I have asked for a probe not just on the recent allegations against me but the entire episode since last year to bring out the complete truth. I will then file defamation charges against those who have tried to malign me,” she added.

Previously, the woman in April last year had claimed to be Naik’s live-in partner and said that they had a 14-year-old son. She has also approached court for a DNA test to prove it

In a case filed at Nerul police station, she alleged that Naik had sexually and mentally exploited her between 2010 and 2017.

In another complaint at CBD-Belapur police station, she alleged that Naik had threatened to kill her and her son when she insisted that he accept the latter publicly.

Naik was subsequently booked under IPC sections pertaining to rape, threat and cheating as well as under the Arms Act. The police later filed a closure report in both cases citing lack of evidence. Naik had said that the allegations against him were a political conspiracy by his opponents.

The woman, however, claimed recently that it was a family matter, but Mhatre and Chougule got her to file cases of rape and threat against Naik promising her a political career as they wanted to settle political scores with him by defaming him.