Congress leader Rohit Tilak, a descendent of freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was booked on rape charge on Tuesday.
Rohit, the great grandson of the leader referred to as the father of Indian unrest, has been accused of raping a woman several times on the pretext of marriage.
The woman, a lawyer, had known Rohit since 2015. She tried ending her life twice before. Rohit has been charged under the IPC with rape, unnatural offences, voluntarily causing hurt, insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation.
“A lady officer has been assigned to investigate the case,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Basavraj Teli.
Hailing from an illustrious family, Rohit belongs to the family tree of late Congress MP Jayantrao Tilak, the grandson of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. His father Dr Deepak Tilak is the vice chancellor of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth. Mukta Tilak, wife of Tilak’s great grandson Shailesh, is the Mayor of Pune.
In 2009, Rohit had unsuccessfully contested the elections from Pune’s Kasba Peth constituency.
Meanwhile, the 41-year-old woman told reporters that she was under constant threat. “I am under severe pressure. I have not been keeping well,” she said. Face covered in a veil, she said it would be her last statement to the press.
Published 18 July 2017, 19:14 IST