Bhopal: After getting bail by the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Congress legislator from Barwani Ramesh Patel, who was behind bars for the past five months in connection with nearly six-year-old rape case was released from the Central Jail here, along with three others on Friday. According to the Central Jail sources, Patel and three others were released after completion of all formalities. Now, Patel would be able to cast his vote for tomorrow’s Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh and he started for Bhopal soon after his release. The MLA was accused of raping a Superintendent of a girl’s hostel on July 31, 2010. He was acquitted by a local court, after which he was elected from a Congress ticket in 2013 Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, his acquittal was challenged in the High Court last year. But, the court had referred it to a special court in Barwani, which rejected Patel’s bail petition. Patel then moved to the apex court, which also did not accept the case, saying the case would be heard in the special court. After this Patel was absconding and he surrendered before the Barwani court on February 2 this year and was sent to jail. Patel again filed a petition for his bail in the Indore bench of the High Court and his bail was granted by Justice JK Jain, following the hearing yesterday.