JNU rape: Arrested PhD researcher sent to judicial custody

New Delhi: A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) doctoral researcher arrested here on charge of raping a 26-year-old woman on the pretext of marriage was remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a local court, police sources said on Wednesday.

Accused Ajay Singh of Madhya Pradesh, who is pursuing a doctorate in philosophy, was arrested on Wednesday after the woman recorded with the police her statement following registration of a rape case against him at south Delhi's Vasant Kunj police station, the sources told IANS.

A metropolitan magistrate here remanded him in judicial custody after the Delhi Police said he was not required for custodial interrogation at present.

The rape case was registered under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code against Ajay on Tuesday evening, a senior police official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

According to the police, the woman accused Ajay, who knew her since 2008, of raping her.

"The woman had come to Delhi in 2010 and they were in a relationship ever since. Despite repeated requests by her, Singh did not marry her; hence, she approached the police," the police officer said.

Last month, All India Student Association activist and JNU doctoral research scholar Anmol Ratan too was booked on rape charge.

Ratan allegedly raped the woman after luring her to his hostel room on the pretext of giving her a compact disc of a movie she had asked for.