Chhattisgarh home minister Ramsewak Paikra's nephew accused of raping minor, fathering her child; complaint lodged

A 21-year-old woman has alleged that she was raped by Chhattisgarh home minister Ramsewak Paikra’s nephew in Surajpur in 2014, the police said. The woman, who claimed to be the mother of Shamodh Paikra’s 30-month-old child, said in her complaint that he has gone back on his promise to marry her after she became pregnant, a police official said. “Based on her complaint, police has registered an FIR against Shamodh Paikra (24) under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Chendra police station on 6 July,” Surajpur superintendent of police Girijashankar Jaiswal said. [caption id=“attachment_4595351” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] He said the accused was yet to be arrested and a probe is underway. The woman claimed she was a minor at the time of the incident, the officer said quoting from the complaint. He said the woman’s claim of being a minor is also under investigation. “Relevant sections will be added (against the accused) if needed,” the SP added. Shamodh is the son of Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra’s elder brother. As per the complaint filed by the woman, who hails from Bhatgaon area of Surajpur district, she was staying in Chendra, the native village of the accused, in 2014 and was pursuing her school education, another police official said. Shamodh had befriended her and allegedly sexually exploited her several times promising to marry her, he said. The official said Shamodh allegedly went back on his promise to marry after the complainant became pregnant. “However, the victim decided to deliver the baby who according to her is now two and a half years old,” he said. The woman stated that she had subsequently approached the police but no action was taken in this connection, he said. The official said investigations are underway to ascertain the woman’s claims. Paikra did not respond to calls and message for his comments on the issue. Incidentally, Paikra had once courted a huge controversy , saying “rape happens by mistake”. Talking to the media in 2014 following the rape and murder of two cousins in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun, Paikra had said that “nobody commits rape on purpose”, but it happens “by mistake (dhoke se)”.