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Sexual misconduct charge: ‘Victim’ retracts his complaint against Punjab minister Kataruchak
The complainant, it is learnt to have appeared before the SIT last week and his statement was videographed by the SIT. The SIT also recorded the complainant’s written statement in Hindi.
The ‘victim’ who levelled sexual misconduct charges against food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak has retracted his statement and has decided not to pursue his written complaint, the official of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter, who did not wish to be named, said.
According to the information, the complainant in his appearance before the SIT headed by DIG (Border Range) Narinder Bhargav has said that he doesn’t want to pursue the complaint filed by him before National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
The complainant, it is learnt to have appeared before the SIT last week and his statement was videographed by the SIT. The SIT also recorded the complainant’s written statement in Hindi.
According to the SIT member quoted above, the complainant told the SIT that he lost his mobile phone and later ‘someone’ showed him a doctored video of him and the minister.
“I don’t want any action in the case and want to live a peaceful life,” the complainant is learned to have told SIT.
SIT head Bhargav refused to divulge any details but disclosed that the probe team has sent the compliance report to the NCSC.
Earlier, the complainant had appeared in a video and stated that the minister had forced him into a relationship on the pretext of giving him a job. The victim had also filed a complaint before the NCSC after which three notices were issued to the Punjab government. In the video, the complainant also accused the minister of issuing threats to him and his family.
The SIT compliance report, as per information, has informed the NCSC that no case was made out against Kataruchak as the complainant was not a minor at the time of the alleged sexual abuse. The compliance report, submitted by SIT, mentions the age of the complainant as 30 years.
The SC Commission has also conveyed that since both the complainant and the accused were Scheduled Castes, the case does not fall under its purview.
The complainant had also issued a statement and asked the SIT to record his statement in Delhi or through videoconferencing. The NCSC in its third notice on June 6, after the state government failed to submit an action taken report (ATR) despite the two notices, had directed Punjab’s chief secretary, director general of police and DIG, Border Range, Amritsar, to immediately record the statement of the victim by video-conference or in person in Delhi, provide him security, and submit ATR by June 12.
The SIT, with Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dayama Harish Kumar and Pathankot SSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh as its members, was formed on May 9 after the NCSC issued first notice to the Punjab government seeking an ATR 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.
The governor sent the video to the Chandigarh director general of police to check its authenticity, and on May 4, 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.
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.
Last week, the Punjab governor had also asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to take action against Kataruchak.
Reacting to the development, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira asked whether the withdrawal of complaint above the “guilty of offence”.
“I’m appalled by the logic of SIT set up by @BhagwantMann…Firstly what about the sexual video clips of Kataruchak verified by Governor? Does withdrawal of complaint absolve the guilty of offence? Why SIT did not confront Kataruchak with videos for last 60 days?” Khaira said in his tweet.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia meanwhile urged Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit to order an inquiry against the Punjab government SIT as well as all others who had intimidated the victim forcing him to retract his statement.
In a statement here, Majithia said, “It is now clear the SIT was formed to give a clean chit to the minister.”
