A woman from Parbhani in Maharashtra has made allegations against NCP leader Rajesh Vitekar for sexually harassing her for more than a year. Vitekar is a close confidant of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Vitekar’s mother is currently the Zilla Parishad President. For the past year, the woman has been going to the police station to register a case but her complaint is turned down.
She told Afternoon Voice, “I am devastated and running pin to poll for justice. Rajesh Vitekar tortured me for one year by making pornographic videos of me. I had complained against all this. I also have all the evidence. But I’m just told that the investigation will take its time and shunted out. I know they are powerful people and no one will hear my voice.”
According to the victim, Rajesh Vitekar scared her by saying that “No one can take any action against me because I have Sharad Pawar’s support.”
The victim accuses him of threatening his weight around in the name of big politicians.
The victim also approached Trupti Desai, a social activist and the founder of the Bhumata Brigade and Bhumata Foundation, a Pune-based organization to seek justice. Trupti addressed a press conference by reading out all the events in sequence.
Whereas Rajesh Vitekar said, “The entire drama is staged, it is like someone has taken supari (contract) to malign my name and they are doing it for cheap publicity. I have done nothing wrong and I believe in the justice system.”
While speaking to Afternoon Voice Bhumata Brigade’s Trupti Desai said, “Do you call it treachery to take the side of a sexually harassed victim against a powerful leader? I will stand by this victim until justice is delivered, no matter how powerful is the man.”
Speaking over the same Ajit Jagtap, editor of Maharashtra Garjana News quoted, “The allegations are serious and atrocities against women cannot be ignored. The Police has to do their job and the judiciary is capable of punishing those who are guilty but we the people are also aware of those thousands of cases that are suppressed in the state by force, price, penalty, discrimination and power.”
Earlier NCP leaders and former Social Welfare Minister Dhananjay Munde and NCP state president Mehboob Sheikh were accused of sexual harassment. Dhananjay Munde made a public statement about the woman in his life and soon after that the lady who had made allegations against him withdrew the grievance.
Recently, the Sanjay Rathore case also came under the purview of the government. Eventually, Sanjay Rathore of Shiv Sena had to resign from his ministry. So now all eyes are on what action the NCP would take against Rajesh Vitekar. And why series of NCP leaders are selectively accused of sexual harassment cases.
Rajesh Vitekar is the President of Parbhani Zilla Parishad, Chairman of Sonpeth Agricultural Produce Market Committee, and Director of Parbhani District Central Bank.
Vitekar contested from the Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency on NCP ticket, defeated by Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay (Bandu) Jadhav.
