Prasanta Mazumdar By

PTI

GUWAHATI: Assam Police have registered a case against Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain for allegedly raping and threatening a 24-year-old married woman in Nagaon district, a senior police officer said today.

Gohain has also filed a counter complaint of blackmailing against the woman and her family, his officer on special duty Sanjiv Goswami said when contacted.

He claimed that the case against the minister has been withdrawn.

Asked about it, Nagaon police station officer-in-charge Ananta Das said the woman had pleaded to withdraw the case in the court but the "case still stands. we will do our own investigation".

Nagaon Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarter) Sabita Das said the case was registered against Gohain on August 2 after receiving a complaint at Nagaon police station.

"We have registered the case. The investigation has already begun and we will proceed as per law," she told PTI.

Das, however, refused to share any detail about the case.

A senior official of Nagaon Police Station said that the case was registered last week bearing the number 2592/18.

"The FIR was registered under IPC sections 417 (cheating), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation). We are investigating and have already noted the lady's statement," he said adding the woman has refused medical examination.

"The complaint says that the alleged incident took place seven to eight months ago. Both Gohain and the woman knew each other for a long time and the Union minister used to visit her home," the official said.

Gohain had allegedly committed the crime at the woman's home when her husband and other family members were not present, he said.

Asked if Gohain's arrest is imminent, the police official said, "We are probing now. If required, arrest will happen only after the probe is complete."

The Union minister did not answer the phone himself when called on his mobile phone.

Goswami said the minister "will not speak to the media".

When asked about the alleged rape case, Goswami said that it has been withdrawn.

"There is no case as of today and as of now."

When Nagaon police station was contacted, its officer-in-charge Ananta Das said the woman had pleaded to withdraw the case in the court two days of filing it.

"The case still stands and it cannot be withdrawn. We will do our own investigation," he said.