The Gauhati High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail petition of tainted Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Pranjit Chouydhury, who had been absconding for more than two weeks now.
The High Court had heard the case on Wednesday but reserved its judgment. “The court today rejected the bail plea of Choudhury,” Public prosecutor BS Sinha said on Thursday.
A 23-year old model earlier this month registered an FIR against Choudhury saying that he had sexually exploited her for a long time by promising to marry her and forced her for an abortion recently before ditching her.
Choudhury was the Congress candidate from Kamalpur constituency in Assam in the just concluded assembly polls in the state.
The Guwahati police who had been investigating the case said that they had served two summons at his residences but Choudhury had not showed up yet. Police said that the case against Choudhury is registered under Sections 420 (cheating), 376 (rape) and 313 (forceful abortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“Choudhury’s counsel had expressed reservation over Sections 376 slapped against his client saying the woman was aged 23 years and that the sexual intimacy was consensual. I pointed out that it was inducement,” Sinha said today.
Sinha submitted before the court that the slapping of Section 313 was also appropriate as the abortion, carried out with tablets about two months back, might not be evident in medical examinations. “After hearing both sides, the court rejected Choudhury’s bail application,” Sinha said.
There has been demands by several sections of the society that the Congress should initiate action against Choudhury. Allegations galore the accused was being shielded by the ruling Congress. What strengthens the charge was failure by the police to pin him down.
BJP legislator Prashanta Phukan said that Choudhury was given political shelter by the Congress. “It cannot be that the Assam police are not able to find him. He was being sheltered by some politician probably some senior Congress leader and that is why police has not found him yet,” he said while urging Choudhury to surrender.