A Delhi court on Monday framed charges of rape and criminal intimidation against BSP MP Dhananjay Singh for allegedly raping a 42-year-old woman for nearly four years between July 2005 and March 2009.

Additional Sessions Judge Sarita Birbal framed charges against Singh under various provisions of the IPC relating to rape, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation.

The trial against him will commence on April 1.

Earlier, during arguments on framing of charges against Singh, a sitting MP from Jaunpur constituency in U.P., the police had said they had the evidence which showed the involvement of the accused in the crime. The police had said that the victim had given all the details of the incident in her statement recorded by a magistrate.

Singh’s advocates had been contending that there have been major improvements in the statement of the alleged victim and therefore, the same cannot be relied upon to book him.

The charge sheet was filed against Singh for offences under various penal provisions of the IPC, including 376(2)(h) (rape knowing that a woman is pregnant) and 376 (2)(n) (repeatedly raping the same woman), 377 (unnatural offence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation).