Uttar Pradesh: SP leader arrested for rape, abortion of woman; wife on the run

Pratapgarh (UP): Police here have arrested a local Samajwadi Party leader following allegations of rape and abortion levelled by a woman, officials said on Saturday.

His wife, who was also booked in connection with the case, is absconding, they said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Durgesh Kumar Singh said the woman in her complaint submitted to the Patti police station, has alleged that she befriended SP leader Javed Ahmed, who is also a zila panchayat member, on Facebook.

She claimed that Ahmed started talking to her over phone and they eventually started dating, Singh said.

The complainant added that Ahmed allegedly established physical relations with her on the pretext of marriage. When she became pregnant, he got her aborted with the help of his wife Salma Begum, he added.

The accused also threatened the woman when she asked him to marry her, the ASP said.

Based on the victim's complaint, the police registered a case against Ahmed and his wife, following which the SP leader was arrested Friday evening and sent to jail on Saturday, he added.

The case was registered under Sections 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc), 376 (punishment for rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.