Chandigarh: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued notice to the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab based on a complaint by a Gurdaspur resident, who has alleged he was “sexually harassed and threatened” by state cabinet minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
The commission has asked the chief secretary to the government and the Punjab director general of police (DGP) to investigate the matter and submit an action taken report “immediately” on the youth’s complaint, which has been forwarded to the Punjab government by the commission. In the written complaint, accessed by ThePrint, the youth has claimed to belong to the scheduled castes.
A purported video of the complainant, in which he appears to be relating details of his association with Kataruhak, has also been forwarded by the commission to the Punjab government.
The commission has also asked the Punjab government to provide security to the youth.
Commission chairperson Vijay Sampla has in his notice to the officers cautioned them that “if action taken report is not received within the stipulated time, then Commission might exercise the powers of the civil court conferred on it under article 338 of the Constitution of India and issue a summon for personal appearance before the commission in Delhi”.
The commission’s move is expected to put the Bhagwant Mann government in the dock ahead of the Jalandhar by-poll scheduled to be held on 10 May.
Kataruchak, 52, is member of the Punjab legislative council from Bhoa, and the state’s food and civil supplies minister. He has been actively campaigning in Jalandhar for AAP candidate Sushil Rinku for the upcoming polls.
The controversy surrounding him started earlier this week after Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit with a complaint against Kataruchak.
Khaira later told the media that he had handed over two video clips to the Punjab Governor and demanded investigation into their contents. The Congress leader alleged that the purported video clips contained highly objectionable and obscene material against the minister.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also tweeted about the allegations against Kataruchak, adding that the minister had tendered his resignation.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has, however, rubbished the Opposition’s claims of Kataruchak’s resignation and also said that he had not received any purported videos of the minister that confirmed the allegations against him.
ThePrint reached Kataruchak for comment on call. The copy will be updated once a response is received.
Purported video of complainant goes viral
An unverified, purported video of the complainant in which he appears to be giving details of his association with Kataruchak went viral on social media Friday.
The complainant claimed that he was the person with Kataruchak in two video clips that Khaira had handed over to the Governor. He said that ever since information about the two videos had become public he had been forced to leave his house and his family members were being constantly threatened.
The opposition has been targeting the government following Friday’s development.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa sought the invocation of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act against the minister Friday. It is not known whether the complainant is a minor.
Talking to media people at Jalandhar, Bajwa said that the minister has been facing very serious allegations. He added that the Punjab CM must dismiss him from the cabinet with immediate effect, after which he should be arrested.
BJP leader Sirsa who tweeted a part of the complainant’s video wrote on Twitter, “Glimpse of scandalous & obscene acts of @AAPPunjab leader as exposed by the victim himself. These video were submitted to Governor by Sukhpal Khaira Ji. But CM @BhagwantMann turned a blind eye to his Minister’s obscenities despite seeing full video.
Media will soon see AAP’s #Badlaav. I am just hoping Kejriwal Ji & Mann Saab won’t demand a Bharat Ratna for Lal Chand Kataruchak for this Badlaav’ (sic).”
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Vikram Singh Majithia also tweeted a part of the complainant’s video saying: Shocking evidence that food & civil supplies minister Lalchand Kataruchak committed sodomy with a minor calls for imm dismissal & arrest of the minister. CM @BhagwantMannn shud also explain what he has to hide & why he is shielding the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. (sic)”
Meanwhile, in a video message issued Friday Khaira claimed he had come to know that he was going to be arrested on some pretext or the other by the Aam Aadmi Party government so that the truth about Kataruchak’s videos does not come out.
He added that he was not afraid of any action against him and will continue to expose the AAP.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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