Govt officer held for rape

Terms it consensual, says she wanted to marry him

 The director of the Central Water Commission has been arrested for allegedly raping the 34-year-old caretaker of his mother in west Delhi’s Vikas Puri, police said on Saturday.

The victim, who hails from Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur city, alleged that Manjeet Singh Dhillon, 51, raped her several times in the past year and threatened to kill her eight-year-old daughter if she reported the incident to anyone. Manjeet, however, told police that the woman, who is a divorcee, wanted to marry him.

“He had agreed, but he was yet to get a divorce from his wife, who had been living separately with their children for the past five years. He also claimed that he had consensual sex with the victim and never forced himself upon her,” a police official said.
Manjeet also claimed that he had placed Rs 22 lakh in her bank account. A case of rape and criminal intimidation has been registered upon the victim’s complaint with Vikas Puri police station.

The woman, a graduate, has also told police that she is one-and-a-half-month pregnant. On January 26, 2012, Manjeet made a three-year agreement with her for making her the caretaker of his ageing mother Laxmi.

The victim initially started living with Manjeet and his mother at Malviya Nagar. About three months ago, she started living with her eight-year-old daughter at another location in Delhi. Her another 14-year-old daughter stays with her husband.

“She alleged that when she started living with Manjeet and his mother, he would often rape her. He would threaten to kill her eight-year-old daughter, if she reported the incident to anyone,” a police official said.

However, it has also come to light that Manjeet’s mother had registered a case with Tilak Marg police station against the victim on grounds of allegedly trying to seize her property. “Laxmi’s other children had advised her that the victim might grab the property. She also felt that her son was becoming protective about the victim,” the official added.

Laxmi went to Himachal Pradesh last week and police are waiting to question her.