MUMBAI: Special investigation team (SIT) constituted by Yavatmal superintendent of police (SP) Dilip Patil-Bhujbal gave a clean chit to former forest minister
Sanjay Rathod
, who faced charges of seeking sexual favours from a woman. The woman denied making the complaint, the SP said.
He said in Yavatmal on Saturday that as no complaint was filed by the woman or her close relatives against the Shiv Sena MLA from Digras, he had been given a clean chit. “There is no question of filing an
FIR
against Rathod, who had recorded his statement with SIT on August 19,” he said.
BJP leader
Chitra Wagh
had demanded an FIR. “Truth alone triumphs. They are chasing me and are out to ruin my political career, which I have built with determination,” said Rathod.
A team led by additional S P Khanderao Dharne had recorded the statement of the woman, wife of the ex-teacher at Rathod’s ashramshala, at Ghatanji police station in camera in the presence of her husband and father on August 14. “The woman denied Rathod sought sexual favours if she wanted her husband to be reinstated to the teacher’s post after he voluntarily resigned in 2017,” said the SP.
Patil-Bhubal said she stated that she had not sent any complaint to him or Ghatanji police station by post. “She claimed she never signed a complaint and the name of her husband was wrongly mentioned in it. She said Rathod never sought sexual favours from her,” the SP said. He said SIT visited Ghatanji post-office where the SpeedPost with the complaint was registered. “Employees said two men posted the letters one after the other but denied knowing them,” he said.
SIT sought information from assistant commissioner of VJ/NT and verified the affidavit filed by her husband in connection with the resignation letter. Rathod had to resign from cabinet as his name was embroiled in Pooja Chavan’s suicide.
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