MP: SIT to probe abduction and rape charges against Cong MLA

The Madhya Pradesh police have formed a nine-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the allegations of abduction and rape levelled by a journalist student against Congress MLA Hemant Katare, an official said today.
Last week, the police had booked Katare on the charges of abduction and rape, following a complaint lodged by the 21- year-old student, who was arrested for allegedly extorting money from the legislator.
"We have constituted a nine-member SIT to investigate all the cases related to Katare (Congress MLA from Ater in Bhind district). Three different cases were registered in this regard by the crime branch, women police station and Bajaria police station," Bhopal Deputy inspector general Dharmendra Choudhary said.

The leader of the opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Ajay Singh, and others had met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently and demanded a fair probe into the case.
"The SIT would be headed by Superintendent of Police (SP), Bhopal South, Rahul Kumar Lodha. It would also investigate the charges against the woman," Choudhary said.
The student was arrested on January 24, when she had gone to collect Rs 5 lakh from Katare as the first instalment of Rs 2 crore, which had allegedly demanded from him.

On February 2, the student had lodged a complaint of abduction, criminal intimidation and rape against Katare.

She was granted bail by a local court yesterday and released from Bhopal Central jail today.
Talking to reporters outside the jail, the student claimed that injustice was done to her.
"I want justice," she said.
"Money was placed by the police when I was arrested...I was exploited by the MLA and the proof of the same would be presented in the court at the right time. I was also harassed in the police custody," the woman alleged.
She said that Katare was in possession of her photos and videos and he was under the fear that she would expose him.

The woman also alleged that a video of her confession was also shot in the police custody.
According to her, she had told about the exploitation by Katare to a police officer, who in turn told her not to talk to the media about this.