Minister's Accuser Arrested for Extortion: Twists in Maharashtra Politics

A woman accusing Maharashtra minister Jaykumar Gore of harassment has been arrested on extortion charges. She allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore and was arrested while accepting Rs 1 crore. Opposition demands Gore's resignation, despite his acquittal in the related molestation case in 2019.

A woman who accused Maharashtra minister Jaykumar Gore of harassment has been arrested on extortion charges, according to police reports on Friday. The arrest of the unidentified woman took place in Satara, where she demanded Rs 3 crore to drop the allegations against Gore and was caught accepting Rs 1 crore.

Gore, the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, faces demands for resignation from opposition parties over the harassment allegations, despite his 2019 acquittal in a molestation case dating back to 2017. Gore maintains that his acquittal included an order to destroy all seized materials.

The minister has filed a breach of privilege motion targeting Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and NCP MLA Rohit Pawar for allegedly defaming him by revisiting the old case. Meanwhile, journalist Tushar Kharat has been arrested and charged for derogatory remarks and an extortion attempt against Gore.

(With inputs from agencies.)