Sonia Gandhi's Secretary Says Rape Charges 'False And Aimed At Vilifying Image'

Madhavan, the secretary to Sonia Gandhi has been accused of rape by a woman who claims to be a Congress worker and has said she was promised a job by him.

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New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi's secretary P P Madhavan has responded to the charges of rape filed against him on Monday. He said that the allegations are "false" and he has evidence to prove that the case has been registered in a pre-concerted manner.

Madhavan, who works in Congress president Sonia Gandhi's office, has said the "false" charges are aimed at vilifying his image out of political vendetta, according to a PTI report.

Madhavan, the secretary to Gandhi has been accused of rape by a woman who claims to be a Congress worker and has said she was promised a job by him.

Reacting to the media reports that a complaint has been filed against him at Delhi's Uttam Nagar police station, 71-yr-old Madhavan said that he had appeared before the Uttam Nagar station house officer (SHO) on June 25 and put forth his explanation, after which he was asked to leave.

"I have the evidence to demonstrate and establish that the complaint has been made in a pre-concerted manner in order to settle political vendetta and the present complaint is devoid of merits.

"I condemn the smear campaign run against me by the complainant and the people behind her and the same appears to be propelled by sick minds in order to vilify the image of a reputed 71-year-old man known for his service to the society," Madhavan said in a statement.

He claimed that according to the media reports, the allegations against him referred to an event that took place in February, more than four months prior to the registration of the FIR.

"This itself shows that the FIR is solely intended to vilify me and to cast aspersions on my long and sincere career. I reserve my rights to lawfully contest the alleged FIR against me and also to take recourse to the available legal remedies against the false and malicious complaint which has been filed against me," Madhavan said. 

What does the complainant say? 

A 26-year-old woman who claims to be working for the Congress party has filed a case of rape and criminal intimidation against party chief Sonia Gandhi's personal secretary P P Madhavan in Delhi. The woman alleged that the accused lured her on the pretext of providing her with a job and had promised her marriage. 

A police officer said the victim, who lives in Delhi, was allegedly raped and threatened of dire consequences by the accused if she reported the matter to police.

"A complaint was received at the Uttam Nagar police station on June 25. A case under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered. We are investigating the matter," said M Harsha Vardhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka). 

According to the FIR, the woman, said that her financial condition was not good and she went to the Congress office where she got Madhavan's phone number.

"I told him I was in need of a job and he promised to help me… On January 21 (this year), he called me for an interview. He asked me many questions and viewed all my documents… He then told me that he wanted to marry me. I said yes… One day, he called me to meet him. He came to pick me up in a car and asked his driver to leave the car. He sexually assaulted me and tried to rape me. When I objected to this, he got angry and left me on the road alone," the woman alleged in the FIR, as per the PTI report.