Gajendrasinh Parmar, former BJP cabinet minister and current MLA of Prantij was booked under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) for alleged sexual assault on a minor.

On Monday's hearing of the case in Gujarat High Court, Justice Divyesh Joshi issued a notice to state, directorate general of police, and Gandhinagar assistant commissioner of police.

The writ petition submitted by the minor girl’s mother mentioned that despite an FIR filed against BJP MLA Parmar, the police has not arrested him even after four months.

Notably, after Gujarat HC's stern rebuke, an FIR was filed against accused, Parmar at the Sector 21 Police Station in Gandhinagar in October 2024. In addition to rape, Parmar has also been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. 

The police are supposed to file a chargesheet within 60 days, they have not yet filed a chargesheet in this case, mentioned petitioner. 

The accused MLA is openly roaming in public places and public events, but still, the police are not arresting him. The petitioner has given information to the police many times, but the police do not reach there on time, it seems the police is trying to protect the accused.

The HC should request an investigation report in this entire matter and transfer the case investigation to the CID (Crime), requested the petitioner.

The high court has issued notice to authorities, scheduling the next hearing on April 21.

What was the case?

In Nov 2020, an Ahmedabad-based woman and her daughter, were travelling in a car to Jaisalmer, along with Parmar and two others.

During the journey, the minor was allegedly molested by Parmar and two other people present in the car near Abu.

The woman returned to Ahmedabad the same day of the incident. She had also attempted suicide when Ahmedabad police allegedly did not take any action against the accused back then.

Recently, a public altercation broke out between the woman and Mahesh Patel, the director of Sabarkantha Bank, who is an accused in cases registered in Sirohi and Jodhpur.

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Gujarat HC reprimands govt, police for protecting MLA in sexual harassment case