By Gayatri Manu
BJP leader Jayesh Patel, the founder-president and trustee of a private institute in Vadodara, had been on the run for having raped a 22-year-old nursing student at his institute.
Now the rural police of Vadodara have arrested Patel on Tuesday night. “We had been searching for him since last many days. Based on a tip-off, 66-year-old Patel was nabbed by rural police at Asodar cross roads near Anand at around 11 pm on Tuesday. He has been brought here for further questioning,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Vadodara rural police, SL Bhatt said.
On Wednesday, the police recovered a video of him confessing, which was purportedly recorded by the victim’s family a day before the FIR was lodged. In the video, which later went viral, Patel is seen as saying that he would be in trouble if a case were registered against him.
A statement issued by Parul University, said that the allegations made against Patel are individual in nature. Patel’s son, Devanshu added that the administration of the university is in the hands of two women officials.
The BJP suspended him after hearing of the charges, and police have arrested the insitute’s women’s hostel rector, Bhavana Patel, in connection with the case. A case against Patel was registered at Waghodia police station under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, while Bhavana was booked under 114 (abetment). The Vadodara police has launched a hunt for Jayesh Patel, who “escaped” while the police complaint against him was being recorded.
In her FIR, the nursing student said that 66-year-old Patel raped her at his residence, which is adjacent to the women’s hostel. Patel reportedly tried to lure her to him, promising to give her full attendance and good exam results. When she refused his offer, he allegedly raped her. “He threatened to expel me from the college and fail me in the exam if I revealed [details about the rape] to anyone,” the complainant said in the FIR. Police say medical reports confirm the rape.
Another woman has come forward alleging that Patel had sexually harassed her a decade ago when she was a student at the institute, forcing her to discontinue studies, quit the university and change her name. Patel, a local BJP leader in Vadodara, was previously a member of the Congress and had contested Assembly elections twice.
Patel resigned as president of Parul University on Monday and handed over the responsibility of governing the college to his son, Devanshu, who claims his father is being framed as the student was facing disciplinary action. He has not clarified why action was being taken against her.
Patel’s political opponent BJP MLA Madhu Srivastav urged the Gujarat government to take over Parul University, and joined a bandh to protest against Patel on Monday. The Congress, ABVP and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (the community to which the complainant belongs) have submitted memoranda to the Vadodara district collector demanding strict action to ensure women’s safety on educational campuses.