Magistrate booked for rape, demanding dowry in MP's Panna

A Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in MP's Panna district was booked for allegedly raping a woman after promising to marry her and then calling off the wedding over dowry, police said today.

Panna Superintendent of Police Riyaz Iqbal said a case had been registered against JMFC Manoj Soni for rape and demanding dowry under relevant sections of the IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Soni is the JMFC with Ajaygarh Civil Court of Panna district.

He said that investigations were underway and the court's permission would be sought before arresting Soni.

In her complaint, the victim, a state government employee, said that her family members went to Soni's place in Chhatarpur with a marriage proposal in 2015, the SP said.

A year later, the JMFC contacted her and invited her to Jugal Kishore temple in Panna district and promised to marry her and applied sindoor on her forehead, the complaint said.

The complainant has told police that the accused raped her on February 19 in Rewa district and several times later after promising marriage.

Meanwhile, the victim has moved the MP High Court here seeking that Soni's proposed marriage, to another woman on June 18, be stayed.

The matter will come up for hearing on June 18.

Talking to reporters in Panna, the victim today claimed that she had got engaged to Soni in the temple but he called off the wedding as his demand for dowry was not met.

She demanded his immediate arrest and also alleged that she was being threatened.