More than 35 women were reportedly lured into prostitution by local businessmen and politicians in Kutch district, according to a 23-year-old woman who was allegedly gang-raped by four BJP workers, among five others.
On Friday, State BJP general secretary K.C. Patel told reporters in Kutch that the party suspended the workers immediately after their names figured in the police complaint. The accused party workers are: Shantilal Solanki, the Abdasa taluka president of the party’s Baxi Panch; BJP councillors in the Gandhidham municipality Govind Parumalani, Ajit Ramvani; and Vasant Bhanushali, a party worker.
As per the details given by the victim in an affidavit, the accused had lured the women with the promise of jobs. The victim has also named nine persons in the FIR.
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The incident has put the ruling BJP in a fix ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled later this year.
On Thursday, the State government and the BJP had switched into damage control mode with Minister of the State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja assuring that “nobody found involved in the act will be spared.” The party also slammed the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for giving political colours to the case.
The two opposition parties have alleged that “big names” of the ruling party are involved in the case. They have also demanded a judicial inquiry and a court monitored probe, which has not been accepted by the State government so far.
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The BJP has also dismissed the allegation that the BJP workers’ identity cards were provided to 35 girls to gain access to party functions. Several such cards were circulated on social media platforms in Kutch.
The State BJP spokesperson, Bharat Pandya, said, “The I-cards are fake and forged and we demand a detailed probe in the matter.”
According to the FIR, in August 2015, the victim came to her mother’s house at Kothara village in Kutch from Mumbai (where she lived with her husband). She was looking for a job and her mother sought help from one Bababhai, who owned a mobile shop in Naliya town. He introduced the victim to Solanki — the main accused — a gas agency owner who offered her a job with a monthly salary of ₹5,500. Solanki has been arrested by the police and is currently on police remand.
The victim said she was first raped by three persons, including Solanki, at his house. She said she had gone there to get a salary advance and was offered a cold-drink which was allegedly spiked. In the subsequent months, according to the victim, she was raped in hotels, cars and at the houses of the other accused, including the BJP workers named in the FIR.