Woman who accused Cong MLA's aide of molestation alleges harassment, seeks justice from Chhattisgarh CM

A woman government official who had lodged a complaint of molestation against a close aide of a Congress MLA in 2019 has sought justice from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claiming she has been transferred against the rules.

The woman, attached to the Rural Engineering Service and posted in Raigarh district, uploaded a video on social media on Wednesday and said she would resign from service if she fails to get justice.

The woman has alleged she was implicated in false cases and jailed and was being continuously harassed after she lodged a complaint in 2019 against Arun Sharma, representative of Raigarh MLA Prakash Nayak, for allegedly molesting her.

She has alleged that Sharma molested her when she was posted in Baramkela Janpad Panchayat in 2019 and that the MLA, when informed about the incident, had asked her to go in for a compromise.

Even police refused to register a case on her complaint, the woman has alleged.

She said, in January 2020, she was framed in a false case under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and on August 15 that year she was jailed under section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure when she went to the Independence Day function in Raigarh district headquarter to raise her grievance before the chief guest.

She was then suspended by the department against which she had gone to the Chhattisgarh High Court.

"The court has acquitted me in the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act case and on the direction of the HC, my suspension was revoked last year. After I was reinstated, I got posted in Gharghoda Janpad Panchayat. However my ordeal did not end there and within a few months, I was transferred and attached to Raigarh Janpad Panchayat against the rules," she claimed.

In the video, she said she had no option but to resign from service on May 30 if she did not get justice from CM Baghel.

Meanwhile, Raigarh Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Mahadeva said a chargesheet was submitted in the local court in 2020 against Sharma under Indian Penal Code sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 354 (molestation).

"After Sarangarh district was carved out of Raigarh last year, the matter was transferred to the newly formed Sarangarh-Bhilaigarh district," he added.

The National Commission of Women, with whom she claimed she had lodged a complaint on the incident, on Friday said it had received the video of the woman.

In a statement, the NCW said its chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Chhattisgarh Director General of Police to personally intervene and ensure a fair and unbiased investigation.

The letter sought protection for the woman and action against the police officials who refused to act on her complaint earlier.

The statement said a two-member NCW team will visit the state to inquire into the matter.