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.
The villagers spotted the high flames coming from the tree and rushed to find a man shouting for help. The villagers managed to douse the flame and save his life. The villagers also nabbed the woman and informed local police about the incident.
The Anti-Gangster Task Force of the Punjab Police has arrested gangster Harpreet Singh, a close associate of fugitive gangster Goldy Brar and mastermind of Pardeep Singh murder case of Kotkapura, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Monday.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday kick-started party's poll campaign for Madhya Pradesh Asembly polls with five promises on the line of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, where it won recently. Priyanka's rally in Jabalpur also indicated that the Congress will corner the ruling BJP highlighting scams, especially alleged corruption in Mahakal Lok corridor project.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the government has been drafting a vision document to achieve a rate of growth of the economy at 7.5 per cent per annum by 2030 and 10 per cent by 2047. He said this document would act as a guide for successive governments to focus their efforts and policies in the right direction.
The SCR announced on Friday that the following trains, which were scheduled to commence journey on June 10 stand cancelled; Train Number 12551 SMVT Bengaluru- Kamakhya, 12253 SMVT Bengaluru - Bhagalpur and 12666 Kanniyakumari - Howrah.
Addressing a gathering after handing over the appointment letters to the newly recruited Jail Warders in Ladda Kothi in Sangrur, the Chief Minister said Rs 100 crore has been approved by the Government of India to set up the digital jail.
