Bishnoi Sabha ex-head booked in rape case

The Hisar police registered a case of rape against the former national president of the All-India Bishnoi Sabha on the complaint of a 20-year-old woman in the Adampur police station today.

Devender Budhia, a resident of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has been booked under Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-D (stalking), 376 (2)(N) (repeated rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Budhia, who came into the limelight due to controversies with former MP from Hisar and BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi over elections to the body of the Bishnoi Sabha. The woman complained that Budhia allegedly raped her several times in Chandigarh and Jaipur and threatened to kill the entire family if she protested. She alleged that she wanted to go to Australia. When her father took her to Budhia, he assured that he would help. Budhia called her to Chandigarh and Jaipur on the pretext of an IELTS course and then raped her.

The police said in February 2024, Budhia called her to Chandigarh. He allegedly intoxicated her and raped her. When she protested, he said he would frame her in a prostitution case. He got her enrolled in an institute in Chandigarh for the IELTS course.

The victim said in August, 2024, Budhia raped her again and threatened to kill the whole family when she protested. He also claimed that he had 'good connections' with Salman Khan, so if she 'cooperated' with him, he would make her a star. After this, he raped her again in September, 2024, she said.

The victim said in November, 2024, she came back to Adampur but Budhia kept harassing her by calling and threatening her. Due to this, she started getting upset and asked him not to call but he did not listen. After this, she told everything to her mother and got the case registered against him.