Thane Rural Police have registered an FIR against former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Narendra Pawar and dismissed police constable Shailesh Patil over allegations that they sexually assaulted a 22-year-old woman at gunpoint in Bhiwandi. Police have launched a search for both accused, who remain at large.
The FIR was registered on Thursday based on the woman’s complaint and cites allegations of gangrape, brandishing a firearm and other relevant offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. An official said the woman’s medical examination confirmed sexual assault.
According to the complaint, the woman was facing a marital dispute when Pawar offered to help her resolve it. The police official said Pawar and Patil allegedly took her to Patil’s farmhouse in Kusgaon, Bhiwandi, on Sunday on the pretext of helping her.
The woman alleged that she was made to consume alcohol after reaching the farmhouse, threatened with a firearm and sexually assaulted. She further alleged that Patil assaulted her after Pawar left the farmhouse, following which she was dropped at her home, the official said.
The case also raises questions about the initial handling of the complaint. According to the report, the woman first approached Thane City Police because she was unsure which jurisdiction covered the incident, but her FIR was not registered there. She later contacted Congress corporator Kanchan Kulkarni through social media on Wednesday and showed her WhatsApp conversations and videos in support of her allegations.
Pawar resigned from all party positions after the FIR was registered. In his resignation letter, he denied the allegations and described the case as a conspiracy intended to defame him. He said he was stepping down because the case could affect the party’s image.
The police have identified Pawar as a former BJP MLA from the Kalyan West constituency and Patil as a dismissed constable. The investigation is continuing, with the accused yet to be traced by the police.
