Main allegations of rape are against Kedar Dighe's co-accused: Court as it grants protection from arrest to Sena's Thane chief

A special court that recently granted protection from arrest to Thane district President of Shiv Sena Kedar Dighe in a case of threatening a rape victim not to disclose the incident to anybody, has reasoned in its detailed order that the main allegations of rape are against his co-accused.

Dighe was accused of threatening to kill the woman if she disclosed the act to anyone. The incident of rape as per the woman’s complaint took place in a 5-star hotel in South Mumbai. In his plea for relief, Dighe had claimed that he had received a phone call from the labour union of the hotel that a dispute had taken place between the main accused and the victim and had gone there. He claimed further that the woman had asked for money from his co-accused to settle the matter amicably after the latter had misbehaved with her. He contended that she filed a false report against him when the man did not agree to her offer.

Special Judge SC Jadhav said in the order that the only allegation against Dighe is that he threatened to kill the victim and noted that the CCTV footage of the hotel is already seized. “The main allegations of rape are against co-accused,” the court said, adding that his custodial interrogation is unwarranted. It called the case a fit one for the relief of pre-arrest bail.

The prosecution had opposed anticipatory bail to Dighe and told the court that the probe is at a crucial stage and that it needs to interrogate him.