Court frames charges against suspended RJD MLA in rape case

A district court on Monday framed charges against suspended RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav and other accused persons in connection with the rape case of a minor girl in February.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (I) Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh framed charges against Yadav under various sections of IPC that includes 376 for raping a girl besides Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, Special Public Prosecutor Shyameshwar Dayal said.

Charges have also been framed against the other five accused persons under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.

The other five accused persons are Sulekha Devi, Radha Devi, Tusi Devi, Chhoti Kumari and Sandeep.

Sulekha Devi and her kin, named in the charge sheet, were accused of supplying girls to the RJD MLA and were arrested.

The Nalanda Police had on April 22 filed a charge sheet against the suspended RJD MLA and other accused in the case.

The 205-page charge sheet was filed by women's police station in-charge Mridula Kumari in the court of additional district judge Rashmi Shikha with the RJD MLA listed as the main accused.

Police said they have appealed to the court for speedy trial.

The RJD MLA had surrendered before a local court on March 10 fearing confiscation of his properties at several places in the state as he was evading arrest for about a month after registration of FIR against him for allegedly raping the minor girl at his residence in Biharsharif on February 6.

Yadav, who won from Nawada seat on RJD ticket in 2015 Assembly polls and a former minister in the RJD government, was suspended by the party on February 14 after the rape charge.