Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to take action against cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
The governor alleged that the minister had committed a “heinous crime” and should be eased out from the cabinet. Kataruchak was accused of “sexual misconduct” by a Gurdaspur-based male victim, who, in a video, had claimed that the former had forced him into a relationship.
On the victim’s complaint, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) last month issued a notice to the Punjab government, asking the chief secretary and the director general of police to investigate the matter.
Addressing a press conference, the governor said that through the media, he wanted to again bring to the notice of the chief minister that action should be taken against this minister. “Don’t forget it is a heinous crime, which he (Kataruchak) committed. He has no right to stay (in the cabinet). He should be eased out,” Purohit said. The governor’s remarks may trigger a fresh war of words with the AAP government. Both have been at loggerheads over several issues in the past. The opposition parties have been demanding action and registration of a case against the food and civil supplies minister.
After the SC Commission’s notice, a three-member special investigation team (SIT) was established by Punjab Police on May 8 to probe the charges. The complainant had alleged that Kataruchak approached him by sending him a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14.When he accepted it, Kataruchak allegedly started making advances, the NCSC had said while quoting from the complaint. “Since he was an influential person, he had promised me a government job due to which I remained mum. I was too young at that time to understand anything. But his sexual excesses continued till 2021. However, he met me for the last time on Diwali in 2021 and he neither provided me with a job nor met me after that,” the victim had claimed.
{{/usCountry}}After the SC Commission’s notice, a three-member special investigation team (SIT) was established by Punjab Police on May 8 to probe the charges. The complainant had alleged that Kataruchak approached him by sending him a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14.When he accepted it, Kataruchak allegedly started making advances, the NCSC had said while quoting from the complaint. “Since he was an influential person, he had promised me a government job due to which I remained mum. I was too young at that time to understand anything. But his sexual excesses continued till 2021. However, he met me for the last time on Diwali in 2021 and he neither provided me with a job nor met me after that,” the victim had claimed.
{{/usCountry}}Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira had handed over an “objectionable” video clip pertaining to the matter to the governor for forensic examination. Purohit then got the forensic examination carried out through the UT police and sent the report to the Punjab chief minister last month.