Court rejected the bail plea of suspended additional secretary, Home, JP Joshi on Tuesday who was arrested under 376-C of IPC by the special police team in a rape case registered by a woman against Joshi who is accused of sexually exploiting her for two years on the pretext of giving her a job. The court on Monday had extended Joshi's judicial remand up to December 30.
Joshi's defence lawyer said that he would soon file a bail plea in the High Court. Moreover, the bail plea of expelled Congress leader Ritu Kandiyal was also rejected on Tuesday. She had allegedly demanded Rs three crore from Joshi for the settlement of the case. The court has fixed Wednesday as the date for next hearing on bail application of Kandiyal who was arrested under sections 506 and 109 of IPC by the police and sent to 14 days judicial remand by the court.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police BS Sidhu said that investigations have revealed that suspended joint secretary SS Waldia had given idea of making CD of alleged rape to the victim with an intent to supersede Joshi. The woman complainant revealed that she was motivated by Waldia for making the CD and also sexually harassed by him for a long period.
The woman has disclosed some names and after thorough investigation in this case, few more persons will soon be arrested, he added. Investigation revealed that Waldia was in touch with the woman complainant a week before October 20 she had shot video of alleged rape by Joshi. Waldia had not demanded extortion from Joshi, he added.
The woman complainant was assisted by Neeraj Chauhan and Amit Garg from outside Nainital police guest house when the woman was making CD. Both were arrested under sections 384, 389, 504, 109, 120 b and IT Act and Court had sent them to 14 days judicial remand.Another accused Shiney Mac was also arrested for demanding money from Joshi for 'settlement' of the case. Police also arrested him under 384, 389, 504, 109, 120 b and IT Act and court had sent him to 14 days judicial remand.
Regarding Kandiyal, the DGP outrightly denied that police were lenient on her. She was properly interrogated and later arrested by police. In the investigation, it was revealed that Kandiyal had conveyed message of woman to Joshi regarding demand for Rs three crore.
She was being pressurised by the woman to arrange a meeting with secretariat officers. According to him, the woman complainant might court arrest soon as the High Court had rejected her bail plea recently and directed her to surrender. The DGP claimed that investigations are going on in right direction and have revealed that a gang was involved in making CD of sexual exploitation and demanding Rs three crore from Joshi. Police have enough evidences against masterminds of the alleged rape case and police will soon be able to arrest them after thorough investigations, he added.
The woman complainant had registered a case against Joshi under IPC section 376 for rape and section 506 for criminal intimidation in Pandavnagar police station, East Delhi from where it was later transferred to Kotwali police station, Dehradun. Joshi had also lodged a counter FIR against the woman and two other persons at the Vasant Vihar police station in Dehradun under Sections 355/304 of IPC alleging that she and two others had called him through three mobile phone numbers and demanded Rs three crore from him.