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Sexual misconduct charges: SC panel closes probe in Punjab minister Kataruchak’s case
The case of the allegations of sexual misconduct against Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, appears to be almost over with the complainant withdrawing his complaint from the National Commission for Scheduled Caste
The case of the allegations of sexual misconduct against food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, appears to be almost over with the complainant withdrawing his complaint from the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC).
The complainant, it is learnt, has personally appeared before the NCSC on July 11 with the plea to withdraw the complaint filed against the minister after which the case has been closed.
The complainant in his personal appearance before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Narinder Bhargava, has already conveyed that he doesn’t want any action into the complaint filed by him before the NCSC.
The SIT was formed after the complainant appeared before the SIT on June first week in which he had already conveyed that he doesn’t want to pursue the case.
It was after this complaint that the minister had forced him into a relationship on the pretext of giving him a job, the NCSC had issued notice to Punjab government and in that compliance, the state government had formed an SIT headed by DIG border range Narendra Bhargav.
As the allegations had become a big political issues just ahead of Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-poll, the complainant even had moved to Delhi and have requested the SIT to record his statement outside Punjab or through video-conference.
However, a new twist had come in the case in June first week the complainant appeared before the SIT that he doesn’t want to peruse the case. Now, the complainant withdrawing statement after personally appearing before the NCSC has come as a huge relief for Kataruchak.
The SIT, with Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dayama Harish Kumar and Pathankot SSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh as its members, was formed after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued a notice to the Punjab government seeking an action-taken report after receiving a complaint following an alleged objectionable video of Kataruchak.
The matter came to light on May 1 when Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira handed over the ‘objectionable video’ of the minister to governor Banwarilal Purohit for forensic verification.
In the video, the complainant also accused the minister of issuing threats to him and his family.
The governor sent the video to the Chandigarh director general of police to check its authenticity, and on May 4, the governor forwarded the forensic report of the video to chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Following this, the complainant reached NCSC, and the commission issued a notice to the Punjab Government. On May 7, Punjab chief secretary VK Janjua informed the commission that the home department has been asked to look into the complaint of alleged sexual misconduct against Kataruchak investigated.
In an interim reply to NCSC, Janjua said the additional chief secretary (home), has been asked to get the matter looked into by the police as to whether a cognisable offence is made out and take appropriate action as per law.
The complainant has also refused to take Punjab Police security as per information.
Punjab governor had also asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to take action against Kataruchak.
The complainant had told the Punjab Police SIT that he had lost his mobile phone and later someone showed him a doctored video taking base of which he was asked by “someone” to level allegations against the minister.
