SC refuses to consider rape plea against Arunachal CM

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to consider a plea by a woman for police protection and a probe into her charges of rape against Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

The top court noted 10 years delay in her plea and asked her counsel senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Krishnan Venugopal to approach the high court concerned.

"If you come after 10 years it is very difficult. We cannot say anything on such matters. We refuse to admit. Go to the High Court concerned to get your grievances redressed," a bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi told the counsel.

The counsel said the woman was very poor and she identified the accused only after she saw the photo of the accused after he assumed the office of chief minister.

They said at least the court should order police protection for her.

The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, said allowing that request would mean prima facie accepting her plea.

The woman, who is now married and a mother of two, has alleged that her family had been receiving threats from unknown people ever since she filed a complaint against Khandu and three other accused in Itanagar four years ago.