Himachal: BJP MLA from Churah booked under POCSO

Three-time BJP MLA from Churah assembly segment Hans Raj has been booked under POCSO, a day after an FIR was filed against his personal assistant and another close aide on charges of kidnapping following a complaint from the father of the alleged victim.

The statement of the victim was recorded, and a case was registered against the MLA on Friday for alleged aggravated sexual intercourse under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sexual intercourse by making a false promise of marriage under Section 69 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said on Saturday.

Raj, who is a former deputy speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, has denied the allegations against him and claimed that they were politically motivated.

The alleged victim, belonging to a minority community, had claimed that she was a minor at the time of the incident.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chamba Hitesh Lakhanpal confirmed to PTI on Saturday that a case has been registered.

This is the third case registered in this matter. Earlier last year, the girl had accused the MLA of sending obscene messages and demanding nude photographs. A police complaint was registered and a closure report was given by the police after investigation.

However, on November 2 this year, the woman posted a video on social media accusing the MLA of threatening her family. She blamed officials of harassing her father, and also accused the MLA's associates of pressuring her to withdraw her complaint.

Another case was registered on Thursday under sections 140(3) (kidnapping), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 324(4) (causing mischief) and 3(5) (criminal act carried out by multiple individuals in furtherance of a common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against two close associates of the MLA including his personal assistant after the father of the victim approached the police.

In his complaint, the woman's father had alleged that MLA Hans Raj and associates forcibly took his daughter and him to Shimla last year, snatched their mobile phones, threatened his daughter, and compelled them to record a ''scripted'' video allegedly aimed at misleading the public and authorities.

However, the Churah MLA has been vehemently denying the allegations, calling them politically motivated. He had also accused the woman of triggering communal tension in the area.

The state women's rights commission has sought a report from the Chamba Superintendent of Police in the matter.