Navi Mumbai: Two weeks after a woman alleged that Navi Mumbai Shiv Sena (Shinde) chief Vijay Chougule misled her to file a rape complaint against Airoli MLA Ganesh Naik to tarnish his image, Chougule broke his silence on Friday and said he will approach the police for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Chougule said that he will submit to the police evidence, including a letter and a phone call recording. “I have never been involved in anyone’s personal life,” he said, adding that he couldn’t respond to the allegation earlier due to his busy schedule.
He said he would also demand a narco-analysis of the woman to know what exactly happened. “I will also request the police to provide security to the woman, or continue it if she is already under protection,” said Chougule.
Earlier this month, a 48-year-old woman submitted a letter to the Nerul police station to withdraw her complaint against Naik and alleged that she made the allegations last year at the behest of Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre and Chougule.
Woman filed rape complaint against MLA Ganesh Naik in April 2022
In April 2022, the woman had filed one complaint each at Nerul and Belapur police stations. In the first complaint, she claimed to be Naik’s live-in partner for 27 years and that they have a 14-year-old son. She also alleged that she was exploited mentally and sexually. In another complaint at CBD-Belapur police station, she alleged that Naik threatened to kill her and her son when she insisted that he accept them publicly and give their son his rights.
Following her complaint, Naik was booked under relevant sections pertaining to rape, threat and cheating, among others. He got a pre-arrest bail from the Thane session court, with the State Government later submitting a closure report to the Bombay High Court as no evidence was found against him.
