Sexual exploitation charges on minister: SAD seeks probe against Punjab govt for 'intimidating victim
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Jun, 2023 11:29 AM
Chandigarh, June 13 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday urged Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to order an inquiry against the Punjab government and others who had intimidated the victim who had accused Cabinet minister Lalchand Kataruchak of sexually exploiting him and forced him to retract his statement.
In a statement here, Majithia said while he had earlier requested the Governor and UT Administrator to order Chandigarh Police to register a case against Kataruchak, now it had become pertinent to probe the sequence of events whereby the victim was forced to withdraw his accusations against the minister.
"It seems Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's earlier statement that all SITs were 'besitte' (without any meaning) was true. It is now clear the SIT was formed to give a clean chit to the minister and that it also caused the victim to retract his allegations."
Urging the Governor to act to save values in civil society, Majithia said "it is shocking that a predator has been given a clean chit by the state. This puts civil society to risk."
Besides urging the Governor to take appropriate steps to ensure justice for the Dalit youth who had been sexually exploited on the promise of a job, he also urged all political parties to unite on this issue and boycott and protest against the minister.
Asserting that the Chief Minister's love for Kataruchak had come in the way of taking action against him, Majithia said it was condemnable that that the Chief Minister had not sacked Kataruchak despite specific advise to do so by the constitutional head of the state.
Majithia also condemned collapse of law and order in the state, asserting recent Rs 8 crore heist in Ludhiana, murder of a jeweller in Moga and dacoity in Amritsar proved the Chief Minister had totally failed as Home Minister.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday directed Labour Minister Manish Sisodia to provide financial aid of Rs 5,000 per month to labourers amid ban on construction activities. Amid rising air pollution in the capital city, the Delhi government had on Sunday banned the construction and demolition activities in line with the GRAP.
Ravindra Singh Yadav, the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime), said: "Specific inputs were received regarding liquor being transported illegally in a Tata Ace vehicle following which a trap was laid in Rohini. The vehicle was intercepted and 120 cartons containing the illicit liquor were recovered.
The official said all the three accused had arrived at the IGI on October 28, and their behaviour appeared suspicious. The official said they "deliberately did not mention about the gold in their possession with an intent to clear the impugned goods clandestinely".
Investing in Bitcoin proved costly for a businessman based in South Delhi, who lost Rs 17 lakh to a Dubai-based fraudster, who was using the bank account of a Aligarh-based man to commit the fraud, police said. The South Delhi Cyber Police arrested the Aligarh resident, who shared his banking access to the fraudster on commission basis in this regard.
The Morbi bridge collapsed on October 30 resulting in 141 deaths. The plea said the incident showed the negligence and utter failure of the government authorities. It further added that in the past decade various incidents have taken place in the country due to the mismanagement, lapse in duty, and negligent maintenance activities.
Most of the people who fainted were employees of the factory. Five people have been admitted to civil hospital for treatment. The leak occurred when gas was being transferred from the tanker truck to the factory tanker.
