Himachal BJP MLA Hans Raj booked under POCSO over sexual exploitation allegations

BJP MLA from Churah Assembly constituency in Chamba district, Hans Raj, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, following a complaint lodged by a woman at the Women’s Police Station, Chamba.

Last week, the woman went live on Facebook, leveling serious allegations of sexual exploitation and intimidation against the MLA and his aides, claiming to possess supporting evidence.

On Friday, she formally lodged a complaint at the Women’s Police Station, following which a case was registered under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to police sources, the victim alleged that Hans Raj had been sexually exploiting her since she was 16 years old.

The development comes shortly after another FIR was registered at Tissa Police Station on Thursday, in which the victim’s father accused the MLA’s close aides, Lekh Raj and Muniyan Khan, of abduction and intimidation.

After registering the case, police recorded the victim’s statement before a magistrate and conducted her medical examination at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Chamba.

Chamba Additional Superintendent of Police Hitesh Lakhanpal confirmed the developments and said that the victim has been provided security, as she had expressed fear for her life and the safety of her family.

Notably on August 9 last year, the same woman had lodged a complaint against Hans Raj, accusing him of sending obscene messages and issuing threats. She later withdrew the allegations, stating that she had acted under mental stress and external influence at the time.

In her recent live session, the woman claimed that she was forced to withdraw the previous complaint after being threatened by the MLA and his aides.

Responding to the renewed allegations, Hans Raj described them as a politically motivated conspiracy aimed at maligning his image and disrupting communal harmony in the Churah Assembly constituency.