Maha: NCP minister accused by woman of raping her meets Pawar

She also claimed thatshe approached Oshiwara police here earlier but her complaintwas ignored.Munde, NCP leader from Beed district, has denied theallegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman andher sister.Munde 45 said the womans claims were part of aconspiracy to blackmail him.

Maharashtra Social JusticeMinister Dhananjay Munde, accused by a woman of raping her, onWednesday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar here.

Sources close to Munde said the meeting, which tookplace at Pawar's residence in south Mumbai, was scheduledbefore the woman went public with her claims.

The 37-year-old woman, an aspiring singer, had saidshe wrote to Mumbai police commissioner on January 10, statingthat Munde repeatedly raped her in 2006. She also claimed thatshe approached Oshiwara police here earlier but her complaintwas ignored.

Munde, NCP leader from Beed district, has denied theallegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman andher sister.

Munde (45) said the woman's claims were part of aconspiracy to blackmail him. He, however, acknowledged that hewas in a relationship with the woman's sister and has twochildren with her.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife,family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding thetwo kids have been accepted by his family.

He said the woman with whom he was in a relationshiphad been blackmailing him since 2019 and he had filed a policecomplaint and also moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stayon distribution of defamatory content against him.