Suspended Maharashtra DIG Sunil Paraskar, accused of raping a Mumbai model, discharged

Suspended Maharashtra Deputy Inspector General of Police Sunil Paraskar, accused of molesting and raping a city-based model, was on Friday discharged by Dindoshi sessions court in Mumbai.

Speaking to mid-day, Paraskar's lawyer Rizwan Merchant said, "Mr Sunil Paraskar is discharged by Dinsdoshi Sessions Court."

"The court has discharged Paraskar from the (2014) case," said Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat. Gharat also said that he will file an appeal in the Bombay High Court, challenging the order. The IPS officer had moved the discharge plea after the Mumbai police filed a 724-page charge sheet against him in May this year.

Last year in July 2014, a first information report (FIR) was registered against Paraskar by the suburban Malwani police under sections 376(2) (rape by a police officer), 376 C (intercourse by Superintendent of Jail, remand home, etc) and 354(D) (stalking) of Indian Penal Code.

The complainant, a 25-year-old model, had alleged that Paraskar (57) molested and sexually assaulted her on two occasions in December 2013. According to her, she had met Paraskar first in 2012, when he was an Additional Commissioner of Police, regarding a case.

Soon after the FIR, the senior police officer had filed an anticipatory bail plea. Subsequently, in August 2014, a special court for women's cases had granted Paraskar a pre-arrest bail observing that "it appears from the behaviour of the complainant and her e-mails that the act must be committed with consent."

In the bail order, the court had also said jealousy could be a possible motive behind the complaint against Paraskar. It also noted that even after the alleged offence, the complainant's behaviour towards him was normal. After Paraskar's suspension in August 2014, a preliminary enquiry (PE) by the Mumbai police in November had found professional lapses on his part while dealing with the victim before she filed a police complaint in the case.

The officer was accused of having violated Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and his behaviour amounted to belittling the image of All-India Service Officers.

According to police, Paraskar travelled with the model beyond his jurisdiction (to Navi Mumbai) and took expensive gifts from her without prior permission of his seniors. There were also regular conversations between them.

-With inputs from PTI