Chandigarh (The Hawk): Former Minister and Shriromani Akali Dal leader, Bikram Singh Majithia today appealed to Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator Banwarilal Purohit to direct the Chandigarh Police to register a case against food and civil supplies minister Lalchand Kataruchak and arrest him immediately on charges of sexual exploitation of a young Dalit man following the Aam Aadmi Party government’s insistence on shielding the minister.
Mr Bikram Majithia, who has also written to the UT Administrator on this issue, said since the sexually explicit video of the food and civil supplies minister had been submitted to the Administrator here, he could take appropriate action on the same. “Also, since the authenticity of the video has also been proven post forensic examination by the Chandigarh Police, it is a fit case for registration of a criminal case against the minister”.
Mr Majithia also called for an impartial probe into the entire issue so that the reason behind chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s love for Mr Kataruchak and hatred for the victim was also brought out in the open. He also urged the Governor and all opposition parties to ensure Kataruchak was not allowed to sit in the Vidhan Sabha whose rich ideals he had defiled with his vile conduct.
The former minister said the issue also concerned ensuring justice to a member of the oppressed sections from Punjab. “As constitutional head of the State it is also your duty to take strict action against Mr Kataruchak to send out a clear signal that no one can exploit marginalised sections of society and get away with it. In this process you will also be protecting the life and liberty of a section of population whose voice is often suppressed. Moreover, you will be coming to the rescue of Punjabis who are extremely perturbed on this issue and are looking up to you to deliver justice in the case”, Mr Majithia said in the letter to the Governor.
Giving further details, Mr Majithia said even though the sexually explicit video pertaining to sexual misconduct by the food and civil supplies minister had been received by the Governor on May 1, the AAP government remained oblivious about the need to take action against Kataruchak. He said Mr Banwarilal Purohit in his role as Administrator of the UT had directed the Chandigarh Director General of Police to conduct a forensic examination of the video and submit his report on the same. “The report subsequently made it clear that the video was authentic and had not been doctored in any way”.
Asserting that this fact alone was enough for the AAP government and chief minister Bhagwant Mann to act against the minister and dismiss him promptly from the government besides registering a criminal case against him, Mr Majithia alleged, sadly this was not done. “In fact, the AAP government tried to cover up the crimes done by the minister by asserting the opposition was making baseless allegations”.
Mr Majithia in his letter also detailed how the victim had even approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and disclosed as to how the minister befriended him and then sexually exploited him on the promise of a government job on becoming a legislator. “The victim disclosed he had been subjected to sexual misconduct by Kataruchak when he was very young — from 2013 to 2014 and that this continued till 2021. He also disclosed that he was on the run and feared harm from the minister. Despite the NCSC directive to the Punjab government to act on the matter immediately and submit an action taken report, the latter is bent on shielding the minister”. He said this was continuing despite the Governor’s reminder to the AAP government that Kataruchak had committed a heinous crime and did not have any right to remain in the State cabinet.
—Jag Mohan Thaken
