Mumbai:
In a setback to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anil Mahabole, who is accused of raping and threatening a woman, the Sessions Court in Mumbai today refused to grant him anticipatory bail.
Additional Sessions Judge S D Kulkarni after hearing the arguments of prosecution and defence held that the allegations against Mr Mahabole were of serious nature and that the case was registered against him after an internal inquiry was conducted.
The court also refused to stay its order to allow Mr Mahabole to approach the Bombay High Court.
The ACP was not present in the court today during the hearing of his anticipatory bail plea. The hearing was held in-camera after both the sides filed an application saying the case was of serious nature.
Mr Mahabole in his bail application, which is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow, has said that he has been falsely implicated and refuted all the allegations.
According to Mr Mahabole, the woman was blackmailing him and sending him threatening messages since long. When the police officer informed the woman's husband about the same, she lodged a false complaint with the top brass of the city police.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Mr Mahabole yesterday after an internal enquiry conducted against him found his involvement in the crime.
According to police, the woman alleged that the ACP, who is presently posted in a side branch, had visited her residence eight months ago and allegedly offered her sweets. She fell unconscious after consuming them.
According to the woman, when she regained consciousness, Mr Mahabole showed her an MMS clipping in which she was seen in a compromising position with him. She alleged that the senior officer repeatedly raped her by threatening to make the clipping public over eight months.
Unable to cope up with the torture, she approached the higher-ups in the department last week, police said, adding that subsequently an enquiry was ordered against Mr Mahabole.