Umang Singhar, a former minister and member of the Madhya Pradesh Congress, has been charged with raping and abusing a 38-year-old woman, a top official announced on Monday, news agency PTI reported.


According to Dhar's Superintendent of Police (SP), Aditya Pratap Singh, the case was filed on Sunday evening at Naugaon police station in the city after a complaint from the woman, who claimed she was living with the accused as his "wife" and claimed he sexually assaulted her.


Respong to the allegations, the Congress MLA stated that he has been framed. Speaking with NDTV, Umang Singhar stated: "On November 2, I filed a police complaint against her for mentally harassing and blackmailing me. She threatened to frame me in a false case and demanded ₹ 10 crore. A case has been lodged."


The MLA has allegedly had "other spouses" in the past, according to State Home Minister Narottam Mishra. "Former minister Umang Singhar's wife has accused him of rape on the pretext of marriage and mental harassment. He had other wives in the past, according to the police. A case has been registered at Naugon police station," he was quoted by NDTV in its report. 


K K Mishra, the head of the communications department for the MP Congress Committee, told PTI that although he does not have details regarding the case, on the surface, it appears to be "politically motivated."


According to SP Singh, the woman accused the offender of torturing her physically, raping her, abusing her, engaging in unnatural acts, and threatening to murder her.


According to the official, a case was filed against the accused based on the complainant's allegations under Indian Penal Code Sections 294 (obscene act), 323 (voluntarily inflicting harm), 376 (2) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 498 (A) (harassment of a woman), and 506 (criminal intimidation).






He stated that further legal actions were being taken.


In the meanwhile, Singhar was the target of the case, according to a video statement from Madhya Pradesh's home minister Narottam Mishra.


BJP leader Mishra alleged that the MLA has other spouses in accordance with the information provided by the police.


(With Inputs From Agencies)