New Delhi: A 25-year-old Dalit woman has alleged that she was raped, threatened, and intimidated by the personal secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the pretext of a job, some financial assistance, and the promise of marriage.
The Delhi Police have launched an investigation into the matter after registering a case on the basis of the woman’s complaint.
According to the FIR registered on 25 June, a copy of which is with ThePrint, Sonia Gandhi’s personal secretary, P.P. Madhavan, allegedly lured the woman, who had lost her husband to Covid in 2020, on the pretext of offering her a job that would pay well.
After the death of her husband, who used to put up hoardings at the Congress office in New Delhi, the woman had begun visiting the Congress office in search of work. This is where she came into contact with Madhavan, the FIR says.
The FIR goes on to add that the woman accused Madhavan of sexually assaulting her on two occasions on the pretext of promising marriage.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that Madhavan lied to her about being a divorcee and started to “avoid her” when she found out that he was married. She said that when she insisted on meeting, the accused allegedly intimidated her, and threatened to “make her disappear”.
“We received a complaint at Uttam Nagar police station on 25 June and have filed the case under sections of rape and criminal intimidation. The investigation in the case is on,” said M. Harsha Vardhan, Dwarka deputy commissioner of police (DCP).
ThePrint reached Vineet Punia, secretary, communications, Indian National Congress, and Pawan Khera, chairman of the party’s media department, over the phone to inquire about the case against Madhavan, but did not receive any response. This report will be updated when a response is received.
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‘Met him at Congress office’
In her complaint, the woman said that she started visiting the Congress office in search of work after her husband’s death. This is where she allegedly got in touch with Madhavan, who promised to help her.
According to the FIR, Madhavan texted the woman on 21 January 2022, asking her to meet him at a house in Delhi’s Sundar Nagar for a job interview. In her complaint, the woman said this was when Madhavan allegedly told her that he was a divorcee and wanted to marry her.
The complainant said that she agreed to his alleged proposal as she, too, did not have a partner at the time.
“He told me he wants to marry me. Since I had no one, I also agreed to it and we started talking on video call, audio call,” the woman said in her complaint, which is now part of the FIR.
The ‘assault’
In the complaint, the woman further alleged that one day, Madhavan asked her to meet him in Uttam Nagar late at night. The complainant said she initially refused to meet him but agreed when he insisted.
The woman, in her complaint to the police, said she could not recall the exact date of this alleged incident.
However, the complainant claimed Madhavan picked her up from outside Uttam Nagar metro station in his car. The car then drove to a secluded spot where, she said, Madhavan asked his driver to step out and return only when called.
The woman alleged that once the driver stepped out, Madhavan sexually assaulted her.
She added that when she resisted, Madhavan told her that he loved her and promised marriage but she refused him. This, according to the FIR, was when he left in anger, leaving her at that secluded spot in Uttam Nagar.
The woman told the police that the next day, Madhavan apologised to her and the two started talking again.
Alleging that she was assaulted on another occasion in February, the woman said that the accused called her to the same Sundar Nagar residence, where he forced himself on her.
“The woman has said that each time she asked Madhavan about marrying her, he would dodge the question. She also complained that one day, Madhavan told her that his wife suspected him of having an affair and that he would have to save her number on his phone as someone else. When the woman confronted him, Madhavan allegedly stopped talking to her,” a senior officer said.
“The woman also stated that when she insisted on meeting, Madhavan threatened her and told her he would make her disappear. She also said that he has several intimate video chat recordings that he may misuse,” the officer said, adding, “We are investigating the case.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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