A fresh controversy has surrounded the five times MLA of Poraiyahat Assembly seat Pradeep Yadav, after a woman, who had lodged a case of sexual assault against him, alleged that she is being pressurised and threatened by Rakesh Pandey, the president of Jharkhand Police Men’s Association to withdraw complaint against Yadav.
Yadav heading the breakaway faction of the JVM had joined the Congress along with fellow MLA Bandhu Tirkey last year after the Assembly election.
The complainant, who is the erstwhile spokesperson of the Babulal Marandi led JVM, has shot a letter to Bokaro SP and DGP Niraj Kumar Sinha stating that Pandey has threatened him with dire consequence if she doesn’t withdraw her complaint. She alleged Pandey is doing this on behalf of the MLA.
Fearing for her life she said that she is always watched and followed by Pandey in Bokaro. She stated that Pandey had made her a Whatsapp call on June 21 asking her to withdraw the case.
Notably, in this case Yadav had to stay in jail for nine months after the complainant alleged that Yadav on the pretext of discussing election matter invited her to a hotel in Deoghar where he tried to rape her.
The police investigation found the case true and Yadav is facing trial before Deoghar district court.
The complaint is a lawyer at Jharkhand High court and she had represented Pandey before high court in several cases. Interestingly, Pandey is among the witnesses of the lady advocate in the case against Yadav.
“From the past year Pandey has been physically and mentally torturing me. He pressurizes me to withdraw the case. He even tracks my mobile phone and persons whom I talk to. He is acting on behalf of the MLA. Since I fear for my life, I decided to inform the police and I request police to take action against him,” she said. She also demanded security for her.
However, neither Yadav for Pandey could be contacted for their comment but the development has left the Congress embarrassed as the central leadership of the Congress has been quite sensitive towards gender issues.