On February 17, Thursday, an FIR has been registered against Shiv Sena leader Raghunath Kuchik for sexual exploitation, cheating and criminal intimidation of a woman.
The FIR has been registered in Shivajinagar Police Station in Pune. The minister has been charged under IPC sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent). The FIR was registered after the police received a complaint of rape and forceful abortion last night.
Maharashtra | FIR registered against Shiv Sena Deputy leader Raghunath Kuchik under IPC Sec 376 and 313 in Shivajinagar Police Station of Pune City Police. FIR registered after a complaint of rape and forceful abortion received last night at the Polie Station.
— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2022
Indian Express reported that Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has also been included in the FIR filed against the Shiv Sena leader.
Kuchik’s profile on Twitter describes him as the Deputy Leader of Shiv Sena, General Secretary of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (Shiv Sena backed trade union) and Chairman of the Minimum Wages Advisory Committee (MWAC) of the State Government, which is a position equivalent to Minister of State rank.
According to local newspapers, the complainant told the police that Kuchik promised to marry her and coaxed her into a sexual relationship. After she became pregnant, the Shiv Sena leader forced her to undergo an abortion. He allegedly threatened her with dire circumstances if she did not comply with his orders.
The 24-year-old victim further claimed that between November 6, 2020, and February 10, 2022, the Shiv Sena leader took her to expensive hotels in areas like Pune and Goa and had sex with her under the false pretext of marriage. Raghunath Kuchik threatened to kill the victim if she did not have the child aborted once she became pregnant, as per the complaint.
The victim approached the Shivajinagar Police Station with a complaint against the Shiv Sena leader on Wednesday, February 16. Based on her complaint the police filed an FIR.
Indian Express quoted senior inspector Anita More as saying, “He (Kuchik) has been booked on the charges of raping the woman on the false promise of marriage and later terminating her pregnancy against her consent.”
“The teams are being dispatched for his arrest,” More reportedly added when questioned whether Kuchik will be placed under arrest.
However, when OpIndia attempted to contact the Shivajinagar police station for additional information on the incident, the officials declined to speak.
