Maharashtra Court gives jolt to chairman of educational institute accused of rape and sexual abuse; bail plea rejected

A court in Maharashtra's Thane district rejected the bail of the chairman of an educational institution who is accused of raping and sexually abusing a woman. In the case, the court expressed the view that the evidence available is sufficient against the accused and the investigation is in its preliminary stages.

According to the victim, she met the accused in 2013 through her sister-in-law. The accused asked for Rs 7 lakh in exchange for getting her a job as a teacher and promised a monthly salary of Rs 70 to 80 thousand. The victim somehow gave Rs 6 lakh, but in 2015 the accused asked for another Rs 10 lakh to confirm the job. When the victim refused to give money, the accused forced her to have physical relations by threatening her. The victim alleges that the accused exploited her several times and threatened her that if she told anyone, the consequences would be dire.

In the case, Thane Additional Sessions Judge Suryakant S Shinde rejected the bail plea on March 4. The court says that there is sufficient evidence against the accused and the investigation is still going on. Prosecution lawyer Sanjay More in the case told the court that many women have made similar allegations against the accused earlier.

The court said that a case has been registered against the accused under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including repeated rape, having physical relations by abusing position, having sexual relations by deception, sexual harassment, insulting the modesty of a woman, and criminal conspiracy.

The judge said, 'Given the seriousness of the case and the ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to grant bail to the accused at this time.' The accused, Rameshchandra Shobhnath Mishra, was arrested on January 30 and is currently in judicial custody.