Himachal BJP MLA Hans Raj booked under Pocso Act after woman’s complaint

The police stated that the FIR was registered after the woman recorded her statement under Section 183 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) at the district court in Chamba.

A police officer told The Indian Express, “The woman was a minor when the commission of the offence took place. The woman alleged in her statement that the legislator had physical relations with her against her wishes. She named the place in her statement where the accused committed the crime with her. Last year, too, the victim had lodged an FIR against MLA Hans Raj for allegedly harassing her over the phone and demanding her obscene pictures. At that time, the victim didn’t level the allegations of rape against Hans Raj. Later, the victim had retracted from her statement.”

The officer added, “Although the victim is now an adult, we have been following all the procedures laid out under the Pocso Act, including maintaining the identity of the victim secret.”

The  Chamba police had also lodged an FIR against MLA Hans Raj’s personal assistant Lekh Chand and close aide Muniyar Khan for allegedly abducting and forcing the victim and her father, and later forcing the victim to change her statement against the MLA.

A police officer said, “The complainant, the father of the victim, has named Hans Raj in his complaint, on which basis an FIR was registered naming Lekh Raj and Muniyar Khan as two accused, along with others. The name of Hans Raj is mentioned in the summary of FIR, his involvement would be established during the custodial interrogation of two accused.”

On Thursday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told reporters that his government has been monitoring all developments pertaining to the allegations against the BJP MLA Hans Raj. Sukhu also said the victim should not have changed her earlier statement.

‘Politics is a platform full of conspiracies and plots’

Hans Raj has repeatedly claimed that the allegations against him are malicious and politically motivated.

On Wednesday, he issued an apology to the people, especially those employed in the industrial areas of Baddi and Nalagarh. He said he didn’t intend to hurt their emotions with his words.

In a video message, the three-time Churah MLA and a former deputy speaker said that the people of Chamba, who are employed in Baddi and Nalagarh, are the “backbone of the state’s economy.” He also acknowledged their vital contribution to the state’s development.

He said that as a public representative, his responsibility does not end with elections. “I am accountable to the people, and their expectations of me are high. Politics is a platform full of conspiracies and plots, where such attacks begin whenever a common man starts progressing,” he said.

In his statement, he also denied any misconduct with any woman, adding that a false narrative was created as part of a political design to malign his image.

Hans Raj’s apology came two days after the Himachal Pradesh State Women Commission sought a report from the Chamba district police pertaining to the harassment allegations against him.

In his earlier video, Hans Raj talked about the “behaviour” of the woman, who has accused him of harassment.

On social media, netizens condemned his comments against the people of Chamba working in the industrial towns.

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