A 16-year-old girl, who had recently lodged a complaint of molestation, stalking, and sexual harassment against a 21-year-old man from another community, accompanied Rane during the rally from Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Chowk to Jay Hind Chowk in Ghorpadi Gaon of Pune.

Based on the girl’s complaint, the accused was arrested and booked by the Pune city police under sections 354, 354d, 504, 506 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 11, 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

When contacted, police officers declined to comment on the case citing the charges under the Pocso Act.

Speaking to reporters, Rane accused leaders from opposition parties of denying, what he said, were cases of “love jihad”. “We have a government in the state that believes in the Hindutva ideology and will ensure that injustice is not done,” he said.

On May 26, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar had sought a police probe into another incident, of a rape offence lodged in Pune Rural, claiming it to be a case of “love jihad”. The police had said the accused in the case was arrested.

Rane’s rally comes a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said “cases of what is called ‘love jihad’ are rising” in the state, citing investigations into complaints of missing girls.