Delhi: Judge recuses to hear anticipatory bail plea of LJP MP Prince Raj Paswan in rape case

Special Judge MK Nagpalon of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday recused himself from further hearing the anticipatory bail plea of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP Prince Raj Paswan in an alleged rape case.

The court staff said that the concerned judge has sent back the file to the district judge. A hearing in the matter will further take place on Wednesday. Earlier, it was scheduled for the passing of order for today.

On September 17, the Rouse Avenue Court had kept the order reserved on the anticipatory bail plea of Prince Raj Paswan after the conclusion of the arguments of all lawyers.

Earlier, Delhi Police has opposed the plea of anticipatory bail petition of Lok Jansakti Party (LJP) MP Prince Raj Paswan. During the hearing in the court, Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat submitted, "We need custodial interrogation of him to recover the alleged video clips having objectionable content as claimed by the victim."

Lawyer for Prince Raj, Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa along with Advocate Nitesh Rana earlier, submitted that this is the case of "honey trap and extortion".

"There is no rape victim here, it's a false case," Pahwa submitted.

Lawyers for Prince Raj further argued that the rape case against the LJP MP is "frivolous".

"My client is innocent. The complainant and her friend have been extorting him since 2020 and my client lodged an FIR of extortion in the Parliament Street Police Station on February 10 this year. She threatened to malign his reputation if he did not pay the extortion amount.

He gave her Rs 2 Lakh but the extortion still continued. After the filing of FIR by my client, both the complainant and her friend had to take an anticipatory bail from the court," they said.

The complainant girl herself was present in the court during the hearing and made sensitive allegations against the LJP Leader.

Prince Raj Paswan, accused of the alleged sexual assault case, on Tuesday, September 14, had moved an anticipatory bail plea in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, seeking protection from arrest in the matter. He was booked in the national capital on September 9 for allegedly raping a former party member.

The woman, who claims that she was an LJP worker, has alleged that she was raped and molested while she was unconscious.

An FIR was registered following the instructions of a Delhi court almost three months after the victim filed a complaint with the police in Delhi.

(ANI)