Murdered woman accuses ex-minister, former judge of rape

In a major embarrassment for the ruling BJP ahead of the assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, former minister Dr Krishnamurthy Bandhi and his aide, a former judge, have been accused of rape by a woman in her dying declaration.

In a major embarrassment for the ruling BJP ahead of the assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, former minister Dr Krishnamurthy Bandhi and his aide, a former judge, have been accused of rape by a woman in her dying declaration.

Former sessions court judge RR Bharadwaj and his son, who had allegedly set the woman on fire and left her to die, have been arrested and booked for murder.

On Thursday, the woman had gone to lodge a complaint, but the police had turned her away. Later, she went to Bharadwaj’s house, from where she was rescued around 3 am after locals heard her cries for help, said an officer of Bilaspur police.

Bandhi, BJP candidate from Masturi in Bilaspur, admitted that he knew Bharadwaj as a party worker, but denied he had anything to do with the case. The Congress has demanded a high-level probe into Bandhi’s involvement.

State Congress spokesman Sushil Anand Shukla said the woman had alleged that Bharadwaj refused to acknowledge her as his wife though they had been married.