Pune: NCP Leader Rupali Patil Thombare’s Facebook Post Adds New Twist to Swargate ST Stand Rape Case; Patil Claims It Was a Consensual Act
Pune:
The recent Swargate ST bus stand rape incident has created widespread outrage across the entire state. After the incident comes to light, the entire ST administration and the police machinery in the city come under fire from people and people’s representatives alike. Yesterday, after the meticulous search of three days, the Pune police finally detained the accused in this case, Dattatray Gade, from Gunat village of Shirur, and presented him to the court.
However, the case has now taken a different turn due to the claim made by Nationalist Congress Party leader Rupali Patil Thombare. Rupali Patil Thombare recently wrote a Facebook post on her account in which she claimed that this was not a forceful sexual assault, but the act was done according to the consent of both individuals. She further said that this incident happened because the accused did not pay the money for the act as agreed by him.
Notably, the lawyers of the accused, Dattatray Gade, also made the same argument in the court, and earlier, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam had also said that there was no forceful incident in the Swargate ST stand rape case.
What Did Rupali Patil Thombare Write in Her Facebook Post?
In her detailed Facebook post, Rupali Patil Thombare wrote, “When the accused of the Swargate ST Bus stand rape case was brought to Pune Shivajinagar Court, the DCP Gill sir enquired me. He said, Madam, if you are going to protest, if you are going to blacken the accused, then please do not do it. At that time, I told Gill sir, that I do not speak, and I will not protest without getting the real information about the incident and making sure that the primary information is true. If you do not believe me, I will stand with you. I want to see the remand report in the court. It is necessary to study the case to get information about the case.”
She further wrote that Pune got unnecessarily defamed in the entire incident. “I feel bad that this incident happened just only because the individual did not pay the money for the consensual act. The second thing is that due to this, the ST administration’s mismanagement has come to light.” She further warned the employees and officials of the ST administration through her Facebook post that if they do not work properly, then they will be dismissed from the service permanently.
Defence Lawyers Claim It Was a Consensual Act, Accuse Police for Media Trials
Meanwhile, the accused, Dattatray Gade’s, lawyers also claimed the same thing in the court. They argued that both the accused and the plaintiff maintained physical relations with each other through consent. There is no forceful sexual assault on the girl. The girl herself went inside the bus. Further, the lawyers also accused police of media trialling of the accused. The accused’s lawyers argued, “The crime done by Gade is not that serious, but on the contrary, police did a media trial of the accused by showing the accused’s photo on television.”
The lawyer’s accused requested the court to sanction only two days of police custody for the accused. However, the court has granted 12 days of police custody to Gade.
