In an embarrassment for ruling NCP ahead of next month’s Assembly polls in Maharashtra, senior party leader and former Minister laxmanrao Dhobale has been booked on rape and criminal intimidation charges.
An FIR against Dhobale, who is an MlA from Solapur district, was filed after a 42-year-old woman staffer of a city-based college accused him of sexually abusing her for nearly two years, police said on Saturday.
The NCP leader rejected the charges, dubbing them as “politically motivated” and an attempt at “character assassination”. Dhobale has been booked under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) by Borivali police, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Balsingh Rajput.
The victim, who works as a clerk in a law college, with which Dhobale has been closely associated, approached the police yesterday with her complaint, he said.
“The victim underwent a medical examination on Friday and we have sought time from a Magistrate to record her statement under 164 CrPC,” the DCP said.