‘Sexual misconduct’: Victim ‘withdraws’ complaint against Punjab minister Kataruchak, say sources

PTI

Chandigarh, June 13

The alleged victim of “sexual misconduct” is learnt to have withdrawn his complaint against Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, sources said on Tuesday.

The alleged male victim withdrew the complaint when he appeared before the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) which was probing the matter, they further said.

The man in his complaint had earlier said that Kataruchak had allegedly approached the victim “by sending him a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14 and when he accepted it, the AAP leader allegedly started making advances.” “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 met me after that,” the alleged victim had earlier claimed.

The Punjab Police had formed a three-member SIT after that to look into the “sexual misconduct” charge against the minister.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued three notices to the Punjab government in this matter, seeking an action taken report in the case.

Reacting to the development, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira Tuesday asked whether the withdrawal of complaint above the “guilty of offence”.

“I’m appalled by the logic of SIT set up by @BhagwantMann that since complainant Keshav has withdrawn his complaint tainted Minister Kataruchak is given a clean chit! Firstly what about the sexual video clips of Kataruchak verified by Governor? Does withdrawal of complaint absolve the guilty of offence? Why SIT did not confront Kataruchak with videos for last 60 days?” said Khaira in his tweet.

It was Khaira who had handed over “video clips of gross misconduct” to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit for forensic examination.

Purohit had then forwarded the forensic report of the video to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and asked the CM to take action against Kataruchak, alleging that the minister had committed a “heinous crime”.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia urged Governor Purohit to order an “inquiry” against those who had allegedly intimidated and forced the victim to retract his statement.

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