Rajasthan rape case: Babulal Nagar's bail plea rejected

Jaipur: The bail plea of former Rajasthan Minister Babulal Nagar, accused of raping a 35-year-old woman, was rejected today by a district court here, which held that the case was of a serious nature and its trial was yet to begin. District and Sessions Judge (Jaipur) V K Mathur rejected the bail plea moved by Nagar’s counsel V R Bajwa on the ground that the case was of seriousness nature and its trial of evidence was yet to begin in a CBI special court. [caption id=“attachment_1321735” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former Rajasthan minister Babulal Nagar. PTI[/caption] The judge said the victim’s statement under Section 164 of IPC, and the injuries on her body could not be ignored, hence the bail could not be granted. During the hearing, the CBI Prosecutor urged the court not to grant him bail as the trial was yet to start. After the CBI special court rejected Nagar’s plea last year, the accused moved the district court for bail, appealing that the chargesheet in the case has been filed by the CBI and he should be given bail. The CBI has filed the chargesheet against Nagar under Section 306 (rape), 323 (causing hurt) and 506 (intimidation), and has listed 36 prosecution witnesses and 45 documents. Nagar (53) has been accused of raping the woman at his residence on 11 September last year on the pretext of giving her a government job. Nagar resigned from the Cabinet two days after the FIR was registered against him on September 17. The former Minister of State for Dairy and Khadi Gramodhyog was arrested on October 25, 2013 and is currently lodged in the Jaipur Central Jail. In her police complaint, the victim had alleged that Nagar had called her to his official residence on the pretext of giving her a government job and raped her on 11 September. PTI