Judicial custody of Rajasthan minister extended

A court here Tuesday extended till Nov 25 the judicial custody of former Rajasthan minister of state for dairy and rural industries Babulal Nagar, arrested for raping a married woman, a lawyer said.

The former minister was produced in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court, said Nagar's advocate Amar Singh.

Nagar was earlier sent to 14-day judicial custody Oct 29.

"The court extended his judicial custody till Nov 25. He could not appear in court due to ill health," said Singh.

Nagar resigned from the state cabinet two days after the police complaint was registered against him by the 35-year-old woman Sep 17.

He was called to the government circuit house for questioning by CBI Oct 25. He was interrogated and arrested after he could not give satisfactory answers to some questions, said a source close to the investigation agency.

In her police complaint, the woman alleged that Nagar called her to his official residence Sep 11 on the pretext of getting her a government job and then raped her.

Nagar, who represents Dudu constituency in Jaipur district, is not the sole legislator to face such charges.

Congress has fielded his brother, Hajari Lal Nagar, in his place to contest from Dudu constituency.

Assembly polls in Rajasthan will take place Dec 1.