Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ramdular Gond from Duddhi was taken into custody after being convicted on Tuesday in a case of rape and criminal intimidation dating back to 2014 under the POCSO Act. His impending loss of Assembly membership awaits the announcement of the quantum of punishment on Friday by the Sonbhadra MP/MLA court.

Gond’s journey from a village headman to MLA was swift and surprising to many in Sonbhadra. His rise in politics began while working for seven-time MLA Vijay Singh Gond, ultimately leading to a fallout between the two. Ramdular later joined the BJP in 2018 and grew in prominence, securing a BJP ticket in 2022 for the Duddhi seat.

Originating from a humble background, Ramdular’s rise was attributed to his association with Vijay Singh Gond, where he honed his skills in managing election campaigns. His victory against Vijay Singh Gond, who contested on a Samajwadi Party ticket, was facilitated by perceived anti-incumbency and his backing from the BJP, leveraging his caste credentials and experience in handling election campaigns.

A Samajwadi Party leader told The Indian Express that the two leaders fell out after the rape case against Ramdular and Vijay sacked him in 2018. Ramdular went on to join the BJP which gave him a ticket to contest from the Duddhi Assembly in the 2022 elections.

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While his caste credentials — Gond belongs to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category — gained him strategic support from the BJP, Ramdular’s political journey was supported by a senior RSS leader in Sonbhadra, despite his non-affiliation with the organisation.

Ramdular’s political influence was further solidified by his previous tenures as a two-time village headman and his wife’s successful election as a village pradhan in 2012. His involvement in the local Block Development Committee in 2021 added to his recognition and standing in the region.

As per his 2022 election affidavit, Ramdular is educated till Class 12. He owns movable assets worth Rs 14.64 lakh, and immovable assets worth Rs 86 lakh. His wife owns movable assets worth Rs 16.43 lakh, and immovable assets worth Rs 1.23 crore.

Ramdular Gond rape case

The incident came to light on November 4, 2014, when a 15-year-old girl confided in her brother that Ramdular Gond, the husband of the village head Soortan Devi, had been raping her for over a year. The case was registered at a police station in Sonbhadra district under IPC sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), and relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.