Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Mumbai Police Crime Branch to consider allegations of rape and sexual assault against Sunil Kulkarni, the leader of cult group Shifu Sunkriti, by parents of the two girls who were allegedly trapped by the outfit.
A Bench of Justices R.M. Savant and Sandeep Shinde asked the Crime Branch to consider the apprehensions of the petitioners (the parents), and the evidence on record, to infer whether or not the charges of rape under section 376 of the IPC requires to be imposed in the case.
Mr. Kulkarni was arrested in April this year on charges of trafficking, cheating and forgery after a couple from Malad moved the HC claiming their two daughters, both in their early 20s, had been ‘trapped’ by Shifu Sunkriti, which operates on social media. The probe was later transferred to the crime branch. Sandesh Patel, the petitioners’ counsel, however, told the HC the Crime Branch’s probe was unsatisfactory as it had failed to charge Kulkarni under section 376 of the IPC despite having statements of witnesses to the effect.
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