SURAT: Nine days after a 21-year-old woman submitted an application alleging that she was raped by BJP leader Jayanti

, the Sarthana police on Thursday booked the former MLA for rape,

It was a day of high drama outside the police commissioner office as large number of Congress workers barged in along with the woman, leading to confrontation with the cops at the entry gate.

The woman was taken to the detection of crime branch (DCB) in the same car in which she had come to there. Police had to forcibly take control of the car in which the rape survivor was sitting in a burkha and a cop drove it to the DCB office. A police sub inspector also sat in the car to ensure her safety.

Police commissioner Satish Sharma said, “The offence has been registered against Bhanushali and his

too. He has been booked for rape, kidnapping and other sections.”

The investigation in the case has been handed over to Leena Patil, deputy commissioner of police, zone IV. Patil has registered the statement of the woman.

Bhanushali, who had represented Abdasa constituency in Kutch from 2007 to 2012, had resigned as the state BJP vice-president after the rape allegation on June 13.

Earlier on July 10, the woman had submitted a written application to city police commissioner office alleging that 53-year-old Bhanushali had raped her several times after promising her admission in a reputed fashion designing institute in Ahmedabad.

The application was sent to Kapodra police station for further actions. When police called the woman to register her statement, she was not found at her residence. She was missing along with her family after which police pasted a notice on the house asking her to come and register the statement.

She had alleged that Bhanushali had called her to a hotel near Ahmedabad

and raped her in March. On April 24, a person from the BJP leader’s office allegedly came to her house and forced her to sign on a blank paper. She claimed that the person also also given a pen drive in which the video clip of the act with Bhanushali was recorded.

The woman had also alleged that the BJP leader was forcing her to enter into physical relationship with other men.