Facing imminent arrest, former BJP legislator Narendra Mehta who is absconding for the past six days moved the Bombay High Court on Tuesday seeking to quash the FIR registered against him at the Mira Road police station in a rape and atrocity case.
The petition (WPST/1208/2020) urging to quash the proceedings of the FIR was filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India and under Section 482 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc). While the petition which was filed on Tuesday, is in the pre-admission stage, the next date has been scheduled for March 9.
Booked for raping and harassing a woman corporator from his own party, Mehta and co-accused Sanjay Tharthare are absconding after the FIR was registered against them last week (Friday, February 27).
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh has assigned the case to the crime unit of the Thane Police Commissionerate. Notably, the Mira Road unit of the Thane (rural) police was virtually clueless about the whereabouts of the absconding legislator who is charged under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Following an uproar over the issue in the state assembly, Deshmukh had promised to take stern action against the high profile culprit. The complaint who hails from the backward community has alleged that Mehta, initially on emotional grounds and later on the virtue of his political clout, sexually assaulted her for nearly two decades under the false pretext of marriage.
