The Uttarakhand police on Saturday arrested Pauri municipality chairperson and former Pauri MlA Yashpal Singh Rawat ‘Benam,’ who had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman journalist on August 23.
The police arrested Benam on Saturday morning from his residence near the district hospital. He was produced before the court for the crime of sexual assault on a woman under section 354 A-1, 354- B, 376, 511 and 506 of the Indian Panel Code. Benam was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody. However, police had sought police remand, but the court rejected it.
The woman complainant had registered a Zero FIR of sexual assault against Benam on August 30 in Dalanwala police station (Dehradun) and later, the FIR was transferred to Pauri district. Taking cognisance of this, a case under sections 294, 354, 354a, 354 b, 376, 511 and 506 of the IPC was registered against the chairman in the women’s police station, Srinagar.
Pauri Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Joshi said after the FIR was registered, the investigating officer had collected evidences in the case. Police had recorded the woman complainant’s statement under section 161 of CrPC. Her statement was also recorded under section 164 of the CrPC before the magistrate. One additional section 354 A-1 was included in the FIR. A team comprising the women’s police station in-charge Jeeto Kamboj and other police officers was formed. Benam was arrested by the team and he was produced in the court from where he was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.
Joshi said the preliminary investigation has already been completed with the collection of evidences and now the forensic investigation would follow.
The woman complainant has not provided the mobile phone to the police so far. Police will pursue the matter in the court to procure the mobile phone from the complainant. After procuring the mobile phone, the voice record will be sent to forensic laboratory to verify whether Benam’s voice is matching with the male voice found on the audio record.
The investigation officer Jeetu Kamboj told The Pioneer that the court has removed sections 376, 511 from the case and sent Benam to judicial custody. During the investigation, Kamboj had earlier visited the municipal board office along with the victim, where the crime was allegedly committed.
Earlier, the woman had sought security from Pauri police and Pauri SP Joshi had deputed a constable for her security in response to the lady’s appeal. Benam had denied that his voice was matching with the male voice found on the audio record.
It should be mentioned here that the woman journalist working in a monthly magazine registered the Zero FIR in Dalanwala police station on August 30 wherein she alleged that Benam had attempted to sexually molest her on August 23, when she had met him, seeking payment for some advertisements. An advertisement related to municipality was printed in the magazine on the eve of Independence Day. Taking cognisance of this, a case under the sections was registered against Benam in the Dalanwala police station on August 30.