Rape, blackmail charge on Congress MLA's son, friends in Rajasthan; BJP slams Ashok Gehlot govt

In a shocking crime reported from Rajasthan, the son of a sitting MLA has been accused of raping and blackmailing a class 10 student. The MLA is Johari Lal Meena, of the ruling Congress party.

According to police, the victim was ensnared via Facebook, gangraped, and then blackmailed to hand over Rs 15 lakh cash and jewellery. The incident reportedly took place on February 24.

Nathulal Meena, SHO of Mandawar police station, said, "A person filed a complaint that his brother's daughter was befriended via Facebook by one Deepak Sharma. With his friends, which include sitting MLA's son, he drugged the girl, and committed gangrape. They took compromising photographs of the girl. Then, they blackmailed her, and took Rs 15.40 lakh and jewellery from her. They warned her with murder of her family members if she approached police."

The Opposition BJP accused the Ashok Gehlot government of giving patronage to goons and rapists. Satish Poonia said, "Rajasthan has been shamed again. Rape charges against a sitting MLA's son shame the state of Rajasthan, and raise question marks on the law-and-order situation. This is yet another addition to 6,337 rape cases filed in one year in Rajasthan. It appears as if rule of law has been replaced by rule of goons and rapists. Rajasthan's CM is more interested in protecting his throne, than protecting women."