Delhi Police in Jaipur to arrest Rajasthan Minister's son in rape case

Jaipur/ New Delhi: Delhi Police officials reached Jaipur on Sunday trying to arrest Rohit Joshi, Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi's son who is accused of rape and has now been asked to appear before them on May 18.

A senior police officer of Delhi police said, "Our team of officers have reached Jaipur in connection with the case to nab Joshi who has been absconding. Our teams are conducting a search to locate and trace him,"

This comes days after a 23-year-old woman from Jaipur has alleged in Delhi that Rohit, the son of Rajasthan Minister for Public Health Engineering, raped her on multiple occasions over a year, following which the Delhi Police has registered a zero FIR initially. A zero FIR can be registered anywhere in the country.

The Delhi Police team visited Joshis' under construction residence in Sen Colony, Jaipur, where it glued a notice for Rohit.

"You are hereby informed that a case has been registered against you at PS Sadar Bazar, Delhi. You are hereby directed to appear before the undersigned and to join investigation by May 18 at 1.00 pm at PS Sadar Bazar along with any relevant record/document available with you," the notice states.

The team did not visit the official residence of Minister Mahesh Joshi.

"I have also come to know that Delhi police reached Jaipur. They have not contacted me. I have already said this before that I stand by the truth and justice. I am a law abiding citizen. When Delhi police will come to me, I will support their investigation," the minister told reporters.

He, however, did not answer whether his son Rohit was in Jaipur or not.

Rajasthan Police also confirmed that a Delhi Police team has come to Jaipur early Sunday morning in connection with the case.

"A team from Delhi Police has come to Jaipur early morning today. We are supporting them in their investigation," Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava told PTI.

In her complaint, the woman had alleged that she was raped on several occasions between January 8 last year and April 17 this year.

Later, the Delhi Police converted the zero FIR into a regular FIR since the allegations of commission of sexual assault committed in Sadar Bazar police station jurisdiction has also been mentioned.

The case was registered on May 8 at a police station in North District under sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), 312 (causing miscarriage), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc), 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.

The woman had said she developed friendship with Rohit Joshi on Facebook last year and since then they have been in contact. The two met in Jaipur first and he allegedly invited her to Sawai Madhopur on January 8, 2021.

During their first meeting, she alleged, he spiked her drink and took advantage of it. When she woke up the next morning, he showed her naked photographs and videos which worried her, reads the FIR.

Mentioning about another meeting, she had alleged that Rohit Joshi had also once met her in Delhi and forced himself upon her.

"Rohit made me stay at a hotel where he got our names registered as husband and wife. He then promised to marry me...but then he got drunk and abused me...He would beat me up and make obscene videos of me. He would threaten to upload them and make them viral...," the woman alleged.

The complainant further stated in the FIR that on August 11, 2021, she found out that she was pregnant with his baby and alleged that he forced her up take a pill but she didn't.