Haryana BJP chief booked for gang rape; opposition demands resignation

Senior-most minister in the Saini cabinet, Anil Vij termed the charges as "very serious" and urged the party high command to take cognizance of the matter.
Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli
Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli(File Photo)
Updated on
2 min read

CHANDIGARH: Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli, who was eyeing another term as the state party chief, has been booked by the Himachal Pradesh Police on charges of gang rape and criminal intimidation along with singer Jai Bhagwan alias Rocky Mittal.

Badoli seems to be on his own as no other BJP leader has come to his defence so far. He was also not present at the function where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini unveiled the statue of freedom fighter Pandit Shriram Sharma in Rohtak.

CM Saini has not commented on the issue and nor any reaction from the party high command.

Senior-most minister in the Saini cabinet, Anil Vij termed the charges as "very serious" and urged the party high command to take cognizance of the matter.

Since the case registered against Badoli came to light, the opposition has been gunning the saffron party labelling it as an "anti-women party". Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan and Member of Parliament from Rohtak Deepender Hooda have demanded Badoli’s resignation from the post of state BJP chief.

Meanwhile, a lady claiming to be an eyewitness in the case, who was accompanying the victim, said the rape claims made were false. She further told that she was there with the victim and her boss in the hotel. She alleged that the victim was not sexually assaulted in any way and the latter's only aim was to extract money or gain political mileage. She also alleged that she was asked to aid the victim in the case as she did not want to get into any trouble.

She further said that the victim and her boss checked into the hotel and seeing Mittal they recognised him. They had a brief conversation with him and the next morning they left the hotel.

Sources said that the Himachal Pradesh Police is yet to summon and record statements of both the alleged accused in the case. Himachal Pradesh Police registered an FIR in December 2024 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the two accused.

The duo was booked on the complaint of woman who alleged that she was raped at a hotel run by the state tourism corporation in Kasauli in July last year.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com