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‘Sexual misconduct’ charge: Three-member SIT to probe allegations against Punjab minister
Days after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes issued a notice the Punjab government, the state bureau of investigation on Monday constituted a three-member SIT to look into the allegations of sexual misconduct against minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
Chandigarh
Days after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued a notice the Punjab government, the state bureau of investigation on Monday constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to look into the allegations of sexual misconduct against food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
According to the Punjab Bureau of Investigation order, the SIT will be headed by deputy inspector general (DIG border range, Amritsar) Narinder Bhargav, with Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dayama Harish Kumar and Pathankot SSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh as its members.
The SIT was constituted after NCSC chief Vijay Sampla on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government seeking an action-taken report after receiving a complaint following an alleged objectionable video of Kataruchak.
“A special investigation team is hereby constituted to look into the matter and take appropriate action as per law. The SIT shall render assistance and support to the commission in investigation/inquiry into the matter,” reads the bureau of investigation order. The bureau of investigation has also asked the SIT head to provide security to the complainant.
The SC commission had sent a notice to the state government asking it to investigate the allegations against the cabinet minister and submit the action-taken report immediately. In the notice, the NCSC also directed the chief secretary and the director general of police, Punjab, to provide security to the victim, who, in a video message and a complaint to the commission, also accused the minister of issuing threats to him and his family.
On May 1, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira handed over the “objectionable video” of the minister to governor Banwarilal Purohit for forensic verification. Khaira also demanded that the minister be dropped from the cabinet if the video was found genuine. However, Khaira did not name the minister while submitting the video.
The governor sent the video to the Chandigarh director general of police to check its authenticity. On Saturday, the governor forwarded a forensic report of the video to chief minister Bhagwant Mann. According to the report by the Chandigarh DGP, the video was not morphed.
Govt sends interim reply to SC commission
The Punjab government on Monday informed the commission that the home department has been asked to look into the complaint of alleged sexual misconduct against Kataruchak.
In an interim reply to NCSC, chief secretary VK 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. The commission has also been informed that the home department has been asked to provide security to the victim. A detailed report would be sent within 15 days, the chief secretary said.
SIT mere eyewash, says Bajwa
Jalandhar: Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa has termed the formation of three-member SIT mere eyewash.
“What is the need of constituting the SIT when the Chandigarh Police have already validated the authenticity of the video?” Bajwa questioned.
The SIT has been formed to hush up the whole matter, he added. “The CM should have dropped Kataruchak from the cabinet immediately,” Bajwa said.
The Congress leader also Bajwa came in support of Khaira against whom a case was registered under non-bailable sections. “The case was registered after Khaira exposed the cabinet minister before the Punjab government. I want to tell the AAP government that Khaira would be the last man to be feared from such arm-twisting tactics of CM Mann. The Congress will protect and stand by Khaira,” Bajwa added.
