20 June,2016 08:30 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
She filed the charges against Lalit Kolhe after learning that he was in a relationship with a bar girl; he denies the allegations, saying she is blackmailing him for money
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
This is something Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator from Jalgaon Lalit Kolhe has learnt, after his wife Bhakti lodged a case of abuse and cheating against him, alleging that he has had six wives. She furnished her long list of allegations against her estranged husband after finding out that he is in a relationship with a bar girl from Santacruz.
MNS corporator from Jalgaon Lalit Kolhe married Bhakti in 2004; (right) Bhakti alleges that even after filing an FIR against Lalit, he has continued to physically abuse her
The orders to register the FIR against Lalit have supposedly come from the Vice President, Hamid Ansari. Bhakti had written to him about her problems after collecting evidence against Lalit. Post this, the VP ordered the Juhu police to file an FIR in January this year. Lalit denies all the charges against him and claims to have a volley of his own against Bhakti.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 498A (husband or relative of woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
Bhakti says she met Lalit at an event in 2003 and fell in love with him. The two later got married on January 27, 2004. On her wedding night, she answered a phone call for him. The caller introduced herself as Lalit's wife, after which, Bhakti says, she realised she had been cheated.
The two began fighting and Lalit allegedly physically abused her. Bhakti then sought help from the women's rights commission. They counselled the couple and Lalit agreed to reconcile their relationship. Bhakti then began collecting evidence and was shocked each time she got to know about another one of Lalit's wives.
They lived together for 3 years, after which Bhakti moved to Mumbai. Lalit lives in Jalgaon to take care of his mother, who has blood cancer. He filed for divorce after Bhakti lodged the FIR in January.
Bhakti said Lalit's first marriage was in 2001 with a woman named Harshal, who committed suicide in 2008. They have a 16-year-old son named Piyush.
After Harshal's death, Lalit was arrested by the Jalgaon police on the charges of abetment to suicide. But, he was acquitted in the case later on. His second marriage was in 2002 with Megha Ghade, with whom has a 14-year-old daughter named Sakshi. His third marriage was with Nidhi in 2003.
His fourth marriage was in 2004 with Pooja Hole. Bhakti was his fifth wife; he married her in the same year. Bhakti also found out that he is currently in a relationship with Sukanya Bhattacharya, who works in a bar in Santacruz.
Gathering all of her evidence, Bhakti had approached Mohan Krishnan, president of the All India Anti Corruption and Crime Preventive Council. He had helped Bhakti send the letter to the Vice President. He also helped her file RTIs to gather information on Lalit's life.
Senior PI of Juhu Sunil Gosalkar said, "Since it was a dowry case we had to investigate the matter before rushing with the arrest. We are done with the investigations and we will be arresting the accused soon. We are also done with the chargesheet and it will be filed very soon."
Bhakti says even after the complaint, the police have failed to arrest Lalit and he continues to physically abuse her.
Lalit's version
However, Lalit denies all the charges. He says he hasn't been living with Bhakti for the past two years and she has furnished all of these allegations against him just because he has evidence against her.
Speaking to mid-day, he said, "After living with Bhakti for three years, I found out that she is part of a prostitution racket. She has also sold a girl in a red light area in Kolkata. She also has some bar girls living with her in Juhu. I have evidence against her. Ever since I found out about her life, she has been blackmailing me for money."
"When we met, she told me that she is a fashion designer. However, I later found out that she is a bar girl. As far as her allegations go any girl I am seen with, she could just be my friend, and not someone I am having an affair with. I am already fighting a case against her in the family court and I'd like to see her prove 498A against me."
