Court grants interim bail to BSP MP Dhananjay Singh

BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, accused in a rape case, was granted interim bail by a court here Tuesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Sarita Birbal granted bail to Dhananjay Singh till May 20, after the complainant in the case withdrew the rape allegation levelled against him.

The court observed that the complainant has not supported the case of the prosecution and she had deposed that Dhananjay Singh had "neither committed rape on her nor threatened her".

The trial court has directed the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur constituency to furnish a personal bond of Rs.50,000 and a surety of like amount. Directing him not to leave the country without the court's permission, the judge has asked him not to make any attempt to contact any of the prosecution witnesses.

Dhananjay Singh, accused along with his wife in connection with the alleged murder of their maid, was granted temporary bail for a week from April 14 to April 21 by the Supreme Court April 9, so that he could file his nomination papers from Jaunpur Lok Sabha constituency.

The complainant, a married railway employee who had lodged a rape case against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP, told the court that the accused has done nothing wrong with her and she has deposed against the accused in front of a magistrate under pressure from relatives.

She has said that a case was lodged against the MP as she feared that he was interfering in her matrimonial life. Telling the court that she was disturbed after her husband sent divorce papers to her in 2009, she stressed that nothing wrong was done with her by the accused.

Accused had not committed rape, she said, adding that she does not want to depose against Dhananjay Singh, who faced trial under various charges dealing with rape, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation.

Dhananjay Singh was charge sheeted Jan 31 for allegedly repeatedly raping the woman between July 2005 and March 2009. According to her complaint, the MP allegedly raped her at gunpoint and threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter, police said.