Gujarat BJP MLA charged with rape, intimidation after High Court direction

A rape case has been filed against BJP MLA Gajendrasinh Parmar in Gujarat on the complaint of a Dalit woman, following directives from the High Court.
The accused, a former minister of state, has been charged with rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and criminal intimidation under Section 506 in connection with an alleged incident that occurred in July 2020.
Parmar is also facing charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This action follows the Gujarat High Court’s questioning of the police for failing to register an FIR based on the survivor’s complaint against the MLA, who represents the Prantij Assembly seat in Sabarkantha district.
According to the complaint, Parmar called the woman to the MLA quarters in Gandhinagar on July 30, 2020, where he allegedly engaged in physical relations with her under the pretence of marriage. She further claimed that the MLA later began ignoring her phone calls and threatened her, warning that he would not spare her if she spoke out.
In 2021, the woman filed a special criminal application in the High Court, requesting that the police be directed to register an FIR.
Additionally, Parmar is facing another case in Rajasthan related to the molestation of a minor. In April 2023, the Gujarat High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in connection with this case.