’He hid cameras to record the rape’

Says 19-year-old college girl who had charged a Congress leader with rape and forcing her to marry him by threatening to kill her family; the politico is now behind bars

'He hid cameras to record the rape'

Says 19-year-old college girl who had charged a Congress leader with rape and forcing her to marry him by threatening to kill her family; the politico is now behind bars
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CONGRESS leader Prahlad Lokhande (43) was arrested late on Sunday night for allegedly forcibly marrying and raping a 19-year-old girl and then threatening to circulate an MMS featuring her.

In her complaint to the Police Commissioner, the girl, who is a resident of Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar, has stated that the twice-married Lokhande, who is also a history-sheeter, had kidnapped her on the pretext of making her a witness in one of the police cases against him.

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Prahlad Lokhande, who is a twice-married Congress leader, was arrested for forcibly marrying and raping a college girl in Ghatkopar

"Lokhande took the girl to a temple and asked her to marry him. He said that if she didn't agree, he would kill her father and brother.

He also told her that he had a criminal record and several cases against him and would not hesitate to commit two more murders," said Assistant Police Inspector Keshav Kasar of the Pant Nagar police.

"Over the next two months, Lokhande took her to a lodge in Thane where he raped her and shot a video of the two of them having sex," added Kasar.

Girl's version
When MiD DAY spoke to the girl, she said Lokhande often eve-teased her in the locality and once even asked if she had turned 18.

"A few months back, Lokhande told me that he wanted me to sign some papers and took me to a temple, where he forced me to marry him. He married me just to have sex and so that he could tell people I was his wife if anybody raised any objections," said the girl.

"Lokhande took me to a Thane lodge and raped me. He had planned this as there were hidden cameras in the room.

He even showed me the video, which shocked me, but I had to stay mum as he had threatened to kill my father and brother.

He used to call me often but I refused to step out of my house after seeing the video.

"Hearing from an acquaintance that Lokhande had been showing the video to my neighbours and local residents was the last straw, however, and I decided that I had to act before the clip reached the masses.
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That was when I wrote to the commissioner of police," she added.

Charged
Lokhande was arrested after the complaint reached the Pant Nagar police. He has been booked under Sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 494 (marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife) of the Indian Penal Code and has been remanded in police custody till July 8.

"When Lokhande's mobile was seized, it had obscene videos of three other girls too. He, however, deleted them on the sly. We will use recovery software to probe them as well," said Kasar.