Telangana Congress leader booked on charge of raping party activist
The Panjagutta police here have booked Narayanpet District Congress chief Khumbam Shivakumar Reddy on charges of raping a woman
HYDERABAD: The Panjagutta police here have booked Narayanpet District Congress chief Khumbam Shivakumar Reddy on charges of raping a woman after promising to marry her. The woman, who claimed to be a member of the Congress party, alleged in her complaint that Shivakumar Reddy had given her a drink, laced with drugs, and raped her at a city hotel. He even tried to blackmail her with a video recording of the act, she claimed.
The woman stated in her complaint that she was a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) and was given the task of coordinating and campaigning for the 2020 municipal elections.
"I went to Narayanpet, the region allotted to me by my party. On reaching the place, I met the District Congress Committee President Khumbam Shivakumar Reddy, who tried to get close to me. He often messaged me at odd hours. Shiva subsequently expressed his intention to marry me," her complaint said.
The woman, as per her complaint, refused Shivkumar Reddy's advances and even questioned him about his existing marriage. The Congress leader told her that his wife was critically ill and would not survive beyond three years due to which, he needed a woman who could take care of him.
According to the police, Shivakumar Reddy used to visit her room in an inebriated state and pressurise her for a physical relationship during their stay in Dubbaka district. When she refused, he physically assaulted her and even tied a yellow thread around the woman's neck, to symbolise their marriage as per Hindu traditions.
Later, on the pretext of meeting her for a discussion, he met her at a reputed hotel. There, Shivakumar Reddy gave her a drink that was mixed with some pills. After she fell unconscious, he raped her.
"After I gained consciousness, he told me that he had clicked photos of me and threatened to post them on the internet if she did not fall in line with him," said the woman in her statement.
A case has been registered under sections 420 (cheating), 476 IPC (rape) and 506 IPC (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and an investigation is underway.