In a sigh of relief to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in general and Punjab Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak in particular, ahead of the Punjab Assembly’s two-day special session, the alleged victim has withdrawn the “sexual misconduct” complaint he had submitted to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against the Minister.
The Gurdaspur-based “victim”, who identified himself as Keshav Kumar, had filed a complaint with the national SC panel against Kataruchak in May, accusing the Minister of sexual misconduct, and sexually harassing and exploiting him on the promise of a government job. In fact, Keshav had “on camera” narrated the entire sequence of events, highlighting how the Minister had forced him into a relationship on the pretext of giving him a job.
The NCSC had, till date, issued three notices to the State Government asking the Chief Secretary and the DGP to submit the action taken report in the matter.
On the other hand, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit — who had also received a complaint by the Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanding forensic examination of the videos — purported to be of Kataruchak and Keshav — had also sought written three letters to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asking for action taken in the matter while also furnishing the forensic report of the videos.
Targeting the AAP-led State Government over the issue, the opposition parties are accusing AAP and the Chief Minister of shielding the “tainted Minister”, and being “anti-Dalit”.
Now in the latest developments, days ahead of the assembly session in which AAP is planning to bring a privilege motion against the Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa for allegedly “insulting the Dalits”, “victim” Keshav had withdrawn the complaint in his recent appearance before the SIT.
The “victim” has reportedly told the SIT, headed by DIG Border Range Amritsar Narinder Bhargava, that he had lost his mobile phone, and later someone showed his “doctored video” having him and the Minister in it.
Informing the national SC panel about the same, the SIT submitted that the complainant has withdrawn the complaint against kataruchak.
The SIT also submitted that it did not make out a case in the first place as Keshav was not minor at the time Kataruchak had an alleged sexual relationship with him, and both the complainant and the accused were Scheduled Castes and the case did not fall within the purview of the SC Commission.
However, the NCSC is yet to react on the developments.
The NCSC had issued the first notice to the State Government on May 5, with the directions to the Chief Secretary and DGP to submit an immediate action taken report and provide security to the victim who was allegedly receiving threat calls from the Minister. Even as the State Government had, on May 8 following the notice, constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the matter, “no action taken report was submitted before the Commission”.
Subsequent to which, the NCSC had, on May 25, issued a second notice to the State Government. Citing threats of life to the victim, the NCSC had then asked the officials and the police to record the statement of the victim by video-conference or in person in Delhi, provide him proper security, and submit the report by June 1. However, no response was submitted by the Government.
Taking serious note of the state government’s “lackadaisical and reluctant approach towards proving justice to the Scheduled Caste residents of the state”, the NCSC had issued the third notice on June 6 directing the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and DIG Border Range Amritsar to immediately record statements of the victim by video-conference or in person in Delhi, besides providing him security, and submit the ATR by June 12 — that is Monday.
Responding on the development, AAP’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said that the Punjab Government had formed a SIT into the case. “After having investigated (the case), true facts have come to light now. The complainant has withdrawn the complaint. It is now clear that it was a propaganda by the Opposition. Actual facts are tumbling out now.”
Opposition raises questions; Sirsa says will move HC
Punjab’s Opposition parties on raised questions at the AAP-led State Government over the withdrawal of complaint by the “victim”. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was the first one to highlight the issues and complained to the Governor without disclosing the Minister’s name, on Tuesday tweeted, “I’m appalled by the logic of SIT set up by @BhagwantMann that since complainant Keshav has withdrawn his complaint, tainted Minister Kataruchak is given a clean chit!”
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, in a letter to the Governor, reminding him how he had got the video checked from the forensic experts and it was found that the video was authentic.
“As we all understand, this fact alone was enough for the AAP Government and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to act against the Minister and dismiss him promptly from the government besides registering a criminal case against him. Sadly, this was not done and the AAP government also tried to cover up the crimes done by the minister by asserting the opposition was making baseless allegations,” he alleged.
Expressing surprise, senior BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa declared that he will move the High Court to seek a CBI inquiry into the case. “I had no faith in the Punjab Police. I was already prepared. I will move the HC now and seek an independent inquiry,” he said.