Thane Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail Of Journalist Accused Of Allegedly Drugging, Raping Woman In Family Court Parking Lot

Thane, May 18: The Additional Sessions Court in Thane has rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by a Thane-based local journalist accused of allegedly drugging, sexually assaulting and blackmailing a woman by threatening to circulate an alleged video of the assault on social media. An FIR against Pawar has been registered by the Thane Nagar Police Station.

Woman alleges assault after birthday celebration

According to the prosecution, the complainant was working at a spa centre in 2024 where the accused allegedly became acquainted with her while visiting the spa.

The FIR states that on August 25, 2024, Pawar allegedly insisted that the woman attend his birthday celebration and offered her cake allegedly laced with a stupefying substance.

After consuming the cake, the woman reportedly felt dizzy, following which the accused and a co-accused allegedly took her in an Ertiga car to the parking area of the Family Court in Thane, where she was allegedly raped.

The woman alleged that she initially did not disclose the incident in order to protect her matrimonial life. However, she later approached the police after the accused allegedly showed her videos of the alleged assault on November 28, 2025, and December 3, 2025, and threatened to make them viral on social media.

Accused claims false implication

In his plea seeking anticipatory bail, Pawar claimed that he had been falsely implicated. He contended that there was an unexplained delay of over one year in lodging the FIR and stated that he is a certified journalist and president of a social organisation named “Navnirman Janhit”.

He further claimed that he had previously lodged complaints against the spa’s Dombivli branch with the Thane Police Commissioner and that the victim’s complaint was an act of revenge against him.

The accused also raised a plea of alibi, claiming that he was in Jalgaon on the dates when the alleged threats were made and not present in Thane or Dombivli.

Court cites seriousness of allegations

The prosecution opposed the plea, contending that Pawar was the prime accused and that custodial interrogation was necessary for recovery of the mobile phone allegedly used to videograph the assault, as well as for further investigation and medical examination.

While rejecting the plea, Additional Sessions Judge V.G. Mohite observed that the allegations against the accused were serious in nature and specifically noted that the offence under Section 70(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which amounts to gang rape, carries punishment extending to life imprisonment.

The court observed that the FIR specifically named the accused and attributed a direct role to him in the alleged offence. The judge also noted that the accused had allegedly absconded and failed to cooperate with the investigation.

“His mobile phone used for making video of the incident of rape is yet to be recovered. His medical examination for ascertaining sexual ability needs to be conducted for the purpose of investigation,” the court noted.

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Court stresses need for custodial interrogation

The court further observed that failure to conduct custodial interrogation would leave lacunae in the investigation and may send a wrong signal to society.

“If such investigation is not carried out then it will remain the lacuna in the investigation and accused will get disadvantage of said lacuna in the trial. It will go wrong message in the society also,” the court said while rejecting the application.

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