Scheduled castes panel issues notice to Punjab govt over allegations of sexual misconduct against minister

New Delhi, May 5

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government and asked it to submit a report on the allegations of sexual misconduct against its minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.

The commission also asked the Punjab chief secretary and the director general of police to provide security to the victim.

In a video message and a letter to the NCSC, the victim, a member of the scheduled castes community, also accused the minister of threatening him and his family.

"I am now on the run and submitting the complaint in Delhi as the minister is threatening to harm me or my family. I request the NCSC to take action against the minister over the sexual misconduct and provide me security," the victim said in his letter to the panel.

Kataruchak had allegedly approached the victim "by sending a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14 and when he accepted it, Kataruchak allegedly started making advances", the commission said quoting from the letter.

"Since he was an influential person, he had promised me a government job due to which I remained mum. I was too young at that time to understand anything. But, his sexual excesses continued till 2021. However, he met me for the last time on Diwali in 2021 and he neither provided me with a job nor he met me after that," the victim said.

Recently, a video on the matter was handed over to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit by Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

The NCSC asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to "investigate the matter and to submit the action taken report, immediately, through post or email, based on facts and information on the action taken on the allegation/matter".

The commission also asked the officials to provide security to the victim.

The NCSC cautioned the officers that if the action taken report is not received, then the 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.  

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