HC refuses interim relief to woman accused of extortion by BJP MP Ravi Kishan’s wife

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to Aparna Soni Thakur, a 54-year-old woman who claims that BJP’s Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan is the father of her daughter. Thakur faces extortion charges filed by Kishan’s wife, Preeti Shukla, at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station.

Justice RN Laddha, presiding over a single bench, refused to grant Thakur any relief in her transit anticipatory bail application without first hearing from the Hazratganj police. The court issued a notice to the police, although Thakur had already served a private notice.

Shukla’s complaint accuses Thakur of demanding ₹20 crore by threatening to falsely accuse Ravi Kishan of rape. Thakur, along with her husband Rajesh Soni and their 25-year-old daughter Shinova, is named in the FIR, which includes charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as 120B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation), as well as extortion.

Thakur’s counsel argues that the FIR is baseless and false, asserting that there is evidence of a domestic relationship between Thakur and Kishan, despite his denial. The counsel contends that no offence of extortion has occurred because, although the FIR claims demand for ₹20 crore, no money was exchanged. He states, “Prima facie, there is no FIR made.”

Thakur has also filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court seeking to quash the FIR, arguing that it stems from malafide intentions and constitutes an abuse of the legal process. Thakur asserts that her notice to Ravi Kishan, regarding his alleged biological relationship with Shinova, does not constitute extortion or any criminal offence. Additionally, Thakur points out that the FIR was registered in Lucknow, despite the parties primarily residing in Mumbai, suggesting a jurisdictional issue.

In a related case, Thakur’s daughter Shinova had filed a plea in a Mumbai city civil court seeking a paternity test for Ravi Kishan to establish her claim that he is her biological father. This plea was rejected in April. The court will deliberate further on this matter on June 21.