Woman who named Haryana BJP chief in rape case booked for extortion

In a recent development, the Panchkula police have filed charges against six individuals, including a woman who had previously accused state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and singer Jai Bhagwan, alias Rocky Mittal, of rape. The charges stem from allegations of orchestrating a honey trap with the intent to extort Rs 50 lakh. The police confirmed today that two of the accused—one woman and one man—have been arrested and placed under a two-day police remand.

According to the complaint lodged by Mittal, a former chairman of the Haryana Government’s publicity cell, the woman, along with another woman Mehak, initially contacted him on September 9, 2024. They allegedly threatened to implicate both Mittal and Badoli in a fabricated case unless their financial demands were met.

Mittal reported that the accused pressured him to arrange a meeting with Badoli and demanded Rs 50 lakh. Upon his refusal, the threats intensified, leading him to file a complaint with Haryana Director-General of Police on September 14.

Subsequently, on September 18, the group reportedly confronted Mittal at his residence in Panchkula, accusing him of accepting money under the pretence of securing employment for them. Despite police intervention, the woman proceeded to file a sexual assault complaint against Mittal and Badoli at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh on December 8.

Mittal further alleged that the group is part of a larger network that engages in blackmail using artificially generated videos. He claimed that on January 21 and 22, he received multiple calls from Mehak, who purportedly confessed that she and another accused, Amit Jindal, had orchestrated the extortion scheme. She allegedly reiterated the demand for Rs 50 lakh to settle the Kasauli case and issued further threats upon his refusal.

Acting on Mittal’s complaint, the police have registered a case against the six individuals under Sections 308(1), 308(5), 351(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Sector 5 police station in Panchkula. The investigation is ongoing.

The Kasauli police recently filed a cancellation report in the rape case against Badoli and Jai Bhagwan. The report, submitted to the Nalagarh court, highlighted several issues with the victim's allegations, including her refusal to undergo a medical examination, absence of CCTV footage and inconsistencies in statements.

The victim alleged that on July 3, 2023, she and a friend were invited to the hotel room of both men in Kasauli. She claimed that Mittal offered her a role in his music album, while Badoli promised her a government job. The woman alleged that after being forced to consume alcohol, she was raped by both men and filmed in a compromising state, with obscene pictures taken.