A Delhi court has acquitted Haryana BJP MLA Umesh Aggarwal and another person of charges of sexual assault and criminal intimidation of a woman at a hotel in 2015.
Additional Sessions Judge Shail Jain acquitted Mr. Aggarwal and Sandeep Luthra after the woman changed her statement during the trial.
A third accused, a woman who had allegedly taken the ‘victim’ to the hotel, was also acquitted.
In her complaint lodged with the Tilak Nagar police in west Delhi, the woman had alleged that the accused persons had raped her when she fell unconscious after having a soft drink, laced with a sedative, offered by the MLA.
Different version
She alleged that the duo had threatened her against telling anyone about the incident. However, during the trial, the woman said that the accused had just misbehaved with her.
In her cross-examination by the prosecutor, the woman said that the accused persons had neither raped her nor threatened her.
“The prosecution has not been able to prove its case against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt. Mr. Luthra and Mr. Aggarwal are hereby acquitted. Accused Rekha Suri (woman accused) is also acquitted,” the Judge said.
