Police summons Gujarat ex-MLA in rape case

The Surat Police on Tuesday summoned Jayanti Bhanushali, former Gujarat BJP MLA and vice president of Gujarat BJP, to appear before it and record his statement in a rape case.

The summons has been issued against the BJP leader under Section 160 of the CrPC filed against him in the Sarthana police station of Surat.

Bhanushani has been absconding for some time now. He is the second former legislator from BJP to have gone absconding.

Earlier, another former BJP legislator, Nalin Kotadiya, had gone missing after his name surfaced in a multi-crore Bitcoin case.

On July 19, a 21-year-old woman lodged an FIR with the Surat police against Bhanushali under various sections of Indian Penal Code, including charges of a public servant committing rape, criminal intimidation, cheating, forgery and wrongful confinement.

Incidentally, some videos showing Bhanushali in a compromising position had gone viral on social media.

The former legislator from Abdasa constituency in Kutch between 2007 and 2012 had quit his post from BJP early this month after allegations were levied against him by the girl, claiming that he would not return till his name was completely cleared.

He had also said there was a conspiracy against him by his political detractors.

One of the people whom Bhanushali accused was former legislator from BJP, Chhabil Patel. Patel was a legislator from the nearby Mandvi constituency in 2002.

"This is a conspiracy to defame me. I am ready for narco test and if Bhanushali has clear conscience, he too should give in writing that he is willing for a similar test," Patel told reporters.

The family of Bhanushali, meanwhile, came out in open and, in an interview to local television channels, claimed that Jayantibhai was innocent.

"My father could never get involved in such a thing. I too am a girl and his daughter. What we want is a detailed and non-partisan investigation into the case," a girl, claiming to be Bhanushali's daughter, said.

The family also demanded the interrogation of the girl who has made the allegations after her former husband came out in open and met reporters alleging that his former spouse was doing this for long — "laying a honeytrap" for influential people and extorting money by making videos.