A former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Uttar Pradesh, Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit, has been booked by Bengaluru police on charges of rape and intimidation, following a complaint filed by a 40-year-old woman. The woman alleges that the incident occurred in a hotel room near Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
According to the complaint, the woman traveled from Uttar Pradesh to Bengaluru with her minor son on August 14, allegedly at the insistence of Sharma. She claims that Sharma took them to various locations in the city. On August 16, they visited Chitradurga, and upon returning on August 17, Sharma booked a room in a five-star hotel near the airport. Inside the hotel room, the woman alleges that Sharma sexually assaulted her against her will and threatened to kill her when she resisted. She also accused him of taking intimate photographs and videos of her.
Based on the woman's complaint, police have registered a case against Sharma under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with sexual intercourse obtained through deceitful means. Additional charges of criminal intimidation have also been filed. Police have issued a notice to Sharma, directing him to appear for investigation.
Initial reports suggested the woman claimed Sharma had promised to marry her. However, she later stated that she is his second wife and expressed regret for filing the complaint, claiming she did so "in a fit of rage". Police are investigating the woman's claims of marriage and have requested her to submit relevant documents.
Bhagwan Sharma, also known as Guddu Pandit, is a former two-time MLA from the Debai constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district. He has previously won elections on tickets from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party. He is currently associated with the Shiv Sena and resides in Noida.
Police are also investigating whether there may be other victims and if Sharma has used his political influence to evade previous cases. The investigation is ongoing.
