Rape case: In 2003, accused MLA faced similar charges

Samajwadi Party MLA Madan Lal Gautam who, along with three others, has been accused by a 20-year-old woman of repeatedly raping her over the last four months, had faced similar charges in the past. In 2003, the police had attached his property on the court's order when he went uderground to evade arrest in a rape case.

However, the police could not find evidence against him and filed the closure report.

Gautam was then a BSP MLA from Ajitmal constituency in Auraiya. A few days before the police filed the closure report, Gautam resigned from the BSP, also resigned from the Assembly and joined the Samajwadi Party, which was then the ruling party. Later, he was re-elected as SP candidate in a by-election.

"It was a politically motivated case and I was framed falsely by my opponents," alleged Gautam, who is now MLA from Auraiya Sadar. He said the charges of rape levelled against him now were also the result of a political conspiracy.

The MLA said he was framed in the rape case in 2003 by the then BJP district president Ajay Singh Chauhan. However, Chauhan denied the charge and asked how he could frame Gautam when the state had a Samajwadi Party government.

The case against the MLA and two others persons — Rajneesh Pandey and a woman Babby Dhore — was filed at the Ajitmal police station on October 20, 2003 on the charges of kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and rape.

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