Woman accuses Munde of confining their kids in his bungalow

A woman who had been in arelationship with Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde hassubmitted a police complaint, alleging he has kept their twochildren in his bungalow in Mumbai since the last three monthsand was not allowing her to meet or speak to them.

In a statement, Munde on Wednesday saidthere is nosubstance in the allegations levelled against him by thewoman, with whom he has two children, and claimed the chargeswere aimed at defaming him.

The woman wrote a purported Facebook post about theissue on her birthday, which was on Tuesday, and hasthreatened to go on a hunger strike from February 20 if thepolice did not intervene in the matter.

In the post, the woman has claimed the senior NCPleader (45) has kept their children hidden for three months inhis official bungalow in south Mumbai.

''He is not even allowing me to meet or talk to them.

Even Ravana would not have done this much torture,'' she said.

In the written complaint, submitted to the MumbaiPolice Commissioner's office, the woman has claimed her 14-year-old daughter is not safe.

There is no substance in the allegations made withthe only aim of defaming (me), Munde said in the statement.

The social justice minister had last month said thathe was in a mutual consensual relationship with the womansince 2003 and the same was known to his family, wife andfriends.

Mundehad said he has two children -- a son anddaughter -- from his mutual consensual relationship with thewoman.

The NCP leader had said he approached the Bombay HighCourt against the woman after she allegedly published onsocial media too personal content relating to him to defamehim.

The minister had said the high court has passed orderpreventing publication of such content.

Late last month, Munde and the woman informed the HCthat they have decided to settle their disputes before amediator.

On Wednesday, Munde said the court has appointedformer Madras High Court Chief Justice Vijaya Tahilramani asthe mediator.

He said two mediation meetings have already been held.

The next mediation meeting is to be held on February13 and decision is expected then on disputes relating to thechildren and other issues,Munde said.

The complaint (made by the woman) about custody ofchildren at a time when the mediation process is still oncreates doubts about the motive.

Basically, to publicly make the demand which is beingdiscussed in the mediation shows the opposition party has nointerest in the judicial process and the motive is to defameone through media trial, the NCP leader added.

Last month, the woman's sister had accused theminister of rape, but later withdrew her police complaint.

Munde had dismissed the rape charge as ''false'' and oneaimed at ''blackmailing'' him.