MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna on Saturday questioned whether it has become a ‘fashion’ to allege rape by high-profile people.
The Saamna editorial argued that senior police officer Sunil Paraskar has been facing a media trial since a city-based model accused him of rape. “Has it become a fashion to level rape charges these days? After he has served for so many years in the police force, one model now charges DIG Sunil Paraskar with rape and one night he becomes a villain. Such accusations have become good weapons to seek personal revenge,” the editorial stated.
It noted that there was an increase in cases that are sensationalised through accusations of eve-teasing and rape. It also cited examples of rape charges against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P J Kurien to argue that most of the times the charges against the high-profile people are proved wrong.
“When the truth has to come out, it will. But till then the media trial the accused has to go through damages his morale. All the laws in the country favour women. So anyone can slap any charge against anyone,” it stated. The editorial also questioned the model’s intentions to file rape charges against Paraskar when everything between them was fine till now. “What is the model’s background? How did she suddenly make a rape accusation when everything between them was fine until now? This question comes to the mind of a common man, but the police investigation seems to ignore these questions.”