The Uttarakhand Government has suspended additional secretary, Home, JP Joshi who is in Suddhowala Jail since Tuesday in connection with the rape case registered by a woman who has accused him of sexually exploiting her in the name of getting her a job.
Uttarakhand Inspector General of Police Ram Singh Meena said that the police department informed the State Government on Thursday about Joshi's arrest and his 14-day judicial remand.
Meanwhile, Joshi's advocate filed a fresh petition for his bail in the session court on Thursday and next hearing was set for December 7 (Saturday).
Meena said that the special police team headed by Women Security Cell in-charge and Additional SP started its investigation on counter FIR registered by Joshi under sections 355/304 of IPC against the complainant and two other persons at the Vasant Vihar police station in Dehradun.
Police have been deployed at various places for collecting evidences.
Phone call details of the accused mentioned in the FIR are being verified by STF. To verify the authenticity of the CD made by the complainant woman, it has already been sent to forensic lab.
The woman is not cooperating with the special police team due to which the investigation is progressing at a slow pace.
Sources in the jail said that Joshi who was staying with six other inmates has been transferred to Jail Hospital on medical grounds. BJP State president Tirath Singh Rawat alleged that Government had delayed ordering suspension of Joshi though he has been in Suddhowala Jail for the last two days.
However, former Uttarakhand Women Commission president Sushila Balooni said that the Government should conduct unbiased investigation in the case registered against Joshi by the woman.
"Some media reports revealed that the complainant was known to the Joshi for more than two years. Why did she not register police complaint earlier if she was harassed by JoshiIJ Whether the complainant was blackmailing Joshi needs to be investigated thoroughly by the special police team and whosoever is guilty in this case should be punished," she demanded.