Assam court summons MoS Rajen Gohain in rape case

Guwahati, Dec 26 (PTI) The CJM court of Assam's Nagaon district has summoned Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain to appear before it on January 8, 2019 in connection with the alleged rape of a

Guwahati, Dec 26 (PTI) The CJM court of Assam’s Nagaon district has summoned Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain to appear before it on January 8, 2019 in connection with the alleged rape of a 24-year-old woman in that district.

In August this year, a case under Indian Penal Code sections 417 (punishment for cheating), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered against Gohain for allegedly raping and threatening the married woman.

The summons, which became public Wednesday, was issued on November 28.

When contacted, Gohain told PTI, “I have heard that the court has issued a summons, but I have not received it yet. The case is totally false and I am a victim of political rivalry,” he said.

The complaint alleged that the incident took place seven to eight months ago at the her home when her husband and other family members were not present.

Gohain, who has been representing the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency since 1999, had claimed that the victim herself went to the court and wanted to withdraw the case, which was not accepted.

Nagaon sadar police station officer-in-charge had said in August that the woman had pleaded at the court to withdraw the case, two days after the case was filed.

Both Gohain and the woman knew each other for a long time and the minister used to visit her home, a senior official of the Nagaon Police Station had said.

The minister’s officer on special duty Sanjiv Goswami had then claimed that Gohain had filed some complaints of blackmailing against the woman and her family.

This is published unedited from the PTI feed.