Named in POCSO case, Bihar Congress leader quits

While four other persons were booked under the POCSO Act, SC/ST Act (the girl is a Dalit) and IPC provisions at the SC/ST police station in Patna on December 22, Pandey’s name was added three weeks ago following a probe by a special investigation team.

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“The girl brought the matter to the police about two months ago, naming four persons. We formed a special investigation team to probe the matter. Based on the supervision note of women’s cell DSP Mamata Kalyani, we named Congress leader Brajesh Pandey in the FIR three weeks ago,” IG, Criminal Investigation Department (weaker sections), Anil Kishore Yadav, told The Indian Express.

e son of a retired Jharkhand-cadre IAS officer. Priyadarshi is alleged to have raped the girl on the pretext of marriage. All the accused are absconding.

Appearing before the media today, the girl alleged that while Priyadarshi had raped her, Pandey had also “touched her inappropriately” last August at a house on Boring Road in Patna, after the former offered her “a cold drink mixed with an intoxicant”.

She said she had met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, but nobody had been arrested so far. “I will immolate myself if I do not get justice,” she said.

Pandey could not be contacted on Tuesday. However, in a letter to Bihar PCC chief Ashok Kumar Choudhary, Pandey claimed that he was the victim of a “conspiracy”. “There is a conspiracy to trap me by making dirty allegations against me. When the girl video-recorded her statement before the police, she did not name me,” he said in the letter.

PCC chief Choudhary was not available for comment.

Meanwhile, the IG did not rule out the involvement of some more persons.