The CBI on Wednesday booked former Rajasthan Minister Babulal Nagar for assaulting a 35-year-old woman at his official residence in Jaipur last month.
The agency has taken over the probe after re-registering the case initially lodged by the Rajasthan Police against the former Dairy, Khadi and Rural Industries Minister. Nagar had to resign on September 20 from his post following the registration of the case by the State police. The Sodala police station had booked Nagar for allegedly raping, threatening and beating up the woman on September 11, after calling her to his official bungalow in Civil lines in Jaipur on the pretext of giving her a job, agency sources said here on Wednesday.
The victim has alleged that on some pretext the minister had taken her to his bedroom and raped her. After registering the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including 376 (rape), the police had referred the case to the state’s Crime Branch-CID as it involved a sitting MlA. The CB-CID had begun probing the charges but the case was referred to the CBI for investigation.
The woman’s statement was recorded and her clothes, which she wore on the day of the alleged crime, were recovered and sent for forensic examination. CBI sources said Nagar would soon be questioned in connection with the case. Nagar, 53, has denied the charges, saying that his political rivals were trying to “frame” him ahead of Assembly elections in the State.