Man who threatened to rape Congress leader’s daughter arrested

Mumbai :  Moving swiftly, the Mumbai Police tracked and arrested, from Gujarat, the man who threatened to rape Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi and her 10-year-old daughter, an official said here on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Girish Maheshwar, 36, is a resident of Bavla industrial town, around 30 km from Ahmedabad.

The threats were issued by Maleshwar on Sunday on Twitter from his handle @GirishK1605 – now barred – to Chaturvedi and her minor daughter, living in Mumbai.

The 38-year-old Congress spokesperson promptly retweeted the rape threats and even tagged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Mumbai Police and others on the matter.

Rajnath Singh later directed the Delhi and Mumbai Police to take action.

“Despite having a picture of Lord Ram as his profile picture, the accused did not hesitate from making such remarks. I hope Mumbai Police will take action. They have called me and have initiated action,” Chaturvedi said.

The police in Goregaon lodged a complaint on Tuesday under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and launched investigations.

Within 48 hours they zeroed in on the accused holed up in Bavla in Ahmedabad district from where he was nabbed with assistance by a team of Delhi Police late on Wednesday and brought here (Mumbai) on Thursday.

A relieved Chaturvedi on Thursday thanked both Rajnath Singh and Mumbai Police for the action initiated in the matter.

“I would like to thank Mumbai Police, Delhi Police, especially IPS Madhur Verma and CP Delhi. Also my gratitude to Rajnath Singhji for taking this up,” she tweeted this afternoon.

Following an outrage on social media and in political circles since the accused issued threats to harm Chaturvedi’s minor daughter, the tweet was subsequently brought down.

Published on July 5, 2018 at 19:13 IST

IANS