Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raj Ballabh Yadav and two others have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court for raping a minor girl in 2016. At the time of the crime, Raj Ballabh Yadav was an MLA and was later suspended from the party. The court has also ordered 10 years rigorous imprisonment for three others who were convicted in the case.
According to the reports, a local court in Patna on December 15 had convicted Yadav and five others in a case of raping a minor girl in 2016. Special MP and MLA court Judge-cum-Additional District and Sessions Judge Parshuram Singh Yadav convicted RJD leader Raj Ballabh Yadav under section 376 (punishment for rape) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012.
Rajballabh Yadav, an MLA from Nawada has also been slapped a fine of Rs 60,000 by the court. On February 16, 2016, Radha Devi and Sulekha Devi had taken the minor victim to Yadav’s residence in Nawada on the pretext of a birthday party and had assisted Yadav in the rape of the minor girl. The court sentenced both with life imprisonment and also fined Rs 30,000 each.
Tusi Devi, Chhoti Kumar and Sandip Suman, the three other convicts who had assisted Radha Devi and Sulekha Devi in sending the minor to Nawada were also sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined Rs 10,000 each.
Raj Ballabh Yadav had avoided arrest for a very long time but had to surrender after a local court had ordered to attach his properties. However, he had later obtained a bail Patna High Court, which was cancelled by the Supreme Court on November 24, 2016.
“I will move the high court against this faulty judgment. I have faith in the judiciary. I say with total confidence that I committed no rape. The so-called evidence was fabricated as part of a conspiracy to destroy me politically,” said Raj Ballabh Yadav after the sentences were pronounced.
RJD party has been rocked by various cases against its leaders, as its supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has been found guilty for indulging in fodder scams when he was the Chief Minister of Bihar and is currently serving a total of 14 years in jail.
Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, including daughter Misa Bharati and son Tejashwi Yadav, are also facing several cases related to disproportionate assets and also for conducting benami transactions. Addition to this Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, including Tejashwi Yadav are accused in multi-crore Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam.
