Tripura MLA Dhananjoy marries woman who accused him of rape

A Tripura MLA named Dhananjoy Tripura (28) succumbed to political, legal pressure and married a woman who accused him of rape.

Dhananjoy confirmed to PTI that the wedding ceremony took place on Sunday at the Chaturdas Devata temple in Agartala. In addition, to this, the woman agreed to withdraw all charges she had filed against him.

Dhananjoy is a part of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) and is an MLA of the Raima Valley constituency in the state.

According to the complaint filed by the woman in March 2019, Dhananjay had met the woman in 2010 when she was still in school and he was a student at Jirania. Times of India reports that the duo got into a relationship a year later and began a physical relationship.

"A year later, we got involved and I had been to his house several times. He had then promised to marry me. I was physically abused but I did not think he would deny our relations," the woman had told the police, according to TOI.

"We have been in an affair for two years and he had raped me several times at a residence in Abhaynagar locality of Agartala. He developed a physical relationship with me promising to marry but discarded me eventually," the woman was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

She then went to the IPFT president NC Debbarma, who tried to get the duo back together. They had agreed to hold the wedding in March 2017. However, the wedding was postponed due to the assembly elections and after Dhananjoy became the MLA in February 2018, he cut all contact with the woman.

Even though he cut contact, the woman's family organized the wedding for the two of them in December 2018 but Dhananjoy did not show up.

"When our family asked what had happened, his elder brother demanded Rs 8 lakh from us. When we refused, Dhananjoy said he would not marry me," the woman said.

The woman and her family members then went to the police and Dhananjoy was charged with rape by promising to marry the girl, cheating and breach of trust under sections Sections 417 (cheating) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

Replying to the charges against him, Dhananjoy alleged that he was framed by the opposition parties. He added that this was a bid to malign his name.

While talking to the media after his wedding, Dhananjoy said that mistakes were made on both sides and the legal team is working to make sure the cases against him are withdrawn.