india

Updated: Jul 16, 2019 09:06 IST

A member of the Bharatiya Janata party has been arrested for allegedly raping a fellow party worker and blackmailing her by sending a video of the said act to the woman’s mobile phone.

Former district president of the BJP youth wing and district executive member of Seraikela-Kharsawan district unit, Amit Sinha was arrested on Sunday evening after the victim filed a written complaint of rape and blackmail against him at the Adityapur police station (PS) in the afternoon. Sinha was produced before a local court and sent to juridical custody on Monday.

“The woman filed a complaint and narrated her ordeal to a woman police officer on Sunday at the Adityapur police station, after which we lodged a formal FIR against Amit Sinha and arrested him. We have sent him to jail after producing him in the local court. His family members were opposing his arrest, saying that the allegations were false. But the victim has submitted evidence and the alleged video with which the accused was blackmailing her,” said Vijay Kumar Singh, Adityapur police station officer-in-charge.

Singh said a case has been lodged against Amit Sinha under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and IT Act.

Reacting to the development, Seraikela-Kharsawan district BJP president Uday Pratap Singh said Monday that they have expelled Sinha from the party for six years with immediate effect.

“He was formerly a member of the district BJYM and later was also made president of the district BJYM. But presently he was not holding any party post,” said Singh Deo.

As per victim’s complaint, Amit raped her and made a video of the act after which he started blackmailing her. “He had sent the video to my mobile and also uploaded on the Internet. He then started calling me frequently and blackmailing me, forcing me to even contemplate suicide for a while,” the woman has alleged.

Police summoned Amit Sinha to the Adityapur police station after the woman lodged the complaint and arrested him.

The mother and sister of the accused also rushed to the police station and protested Sinha’s arrest . The accused said he had given some money to the woman and had been calling her to get his money back. “But she didn’t return my money and trapped me with a fake allegation,” Sinha is reported to have told police officials.