Agartala: Dhananjoy Tripura, an MLA of the ruling Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), married the woman, who had accused him of raping her for months on the pretext of marriage, on Monday. This comes a week after the Tripura High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Earlier last month, on May 19, the victim had filed a case under sections 376 (rape) and 417 (cheating) of the IPC against Tripura in Mandai police station. Later, the case was transferred to the Agartala East women’s police station.
Speaking to reporters, the legislator from Raima Valley assembly constituency said, “I married the woman at the Chaturdas Devta Mandir in Khayer, Agartala on Monday. All the documents have been submitted to get a marriage certificate from the authorities concerned.”
Tripura said that he married the woman in the presence of both their family members after the issues were resolved among them. As per the family of the complainant, the woman is now at her in-laws’ house after marriage.
Also Read: Tripura: IPFT MLA accused of raping woman on pretext of marriage
Earlier last month, when a complaint was lodged against him, the IPFT legislator had earlier denied the allegations calling it a political conspiracy to malign his image.
However, the victim claimed that both of them have lived together for a while and had also performed mangalacharan — the engagement ceremony — on March 8, 2017. A few days later, the state assembly elections were declared and Tripura got busy with election work.
The Tripura Commission for Women (TCW) had also investigated the allegations levelled against him and found that they were true. In a statement, TCW chairperson Barnali Goswami said that despite all developments, the victim wants to stay with Dhananjoy as husband and wife.
The division bench of Justice Arindam Lodh after hearing both the petitioner’s and victim’s counsels rejected the bail application filed by the suspect’s legislator.
On Monday, after feeling the heat due to pressure from the political leadership and family members, the legislator tied the knot with the woman in a temple.
