Vadodara lawyer booked in rape case

In Vadodara, a criminal lawyer named Hitesh Gupta has been booked in connection with a rape case, according to police who registered an FIR on August 7. The complainant, a woman in her mid-30s, alleged that she was sexually assaulted twice and threatened with the circulation of private videos if she reported the incident to the police.

The alleged incidents reportedly occurred at Gupta's office in Vadodara and another location on May 22, both in February this year. The woman initially sought assistance regarding a rent agreement and worked for Gupta and his wife for about a month under the promise of Rs 15,000 per month. After her father's death, she returned home, only to be contacted by an unnamed junior of Gupta and brought back to Vadodara.

The complainant alleged that in February, Gupta sexually assaulted her at his office, and on May 22, her village, the lawyer's junior took her to a location where she was sexually assaulted by both the lawyer and his junior. Additionally, the woman claimed that the couple and her junior subjected her to "caste-based abuse and threats."

Gupta has consistently denied all allegations. The incident has sparked protests from a group of lawyers who marched to the Range Inspector General of Police's office demanding a bias-free investigation.