Chamba Court reserves order on BJP MLA Hans Raj’s bail confirmation till November 27
Photo source: Internet
Shimla/Chamba, Nov 22,
The District and Sessions Court in Chamba on Saturday reserved its order on the confirmation of interim anticipatory bail granted to BJP MLA Hans Raj in a POCSO case. The court, after hearing exhaustive arguments from both sides, said it would pronounce the order on November 27.
The matter concerns the interim bail granted to the Churah MLA on November 11, with the court directing him to cooperate fully with the investigation. The legislator is facing allegations of sexually assaulting a minor, linked to an FIR registered last year and revived after the victim’s fresh complaint on November 7, in which she accused him of physical abuse and persistent intimidation.
An earlier FIR filed on August 16, 2024, at the Chamba Women’s Police Station had invoked charges relating to obscene chats, demands for nude photographs and threats. The issue resurfaced sharply after the girl released a video claiming her family was facing threats and alleging that the MLA had “ruined her life.” Hans Raj has denied the allegations and termed the case politically motivated, adding that he plans to file a defamation suit.
The victim’s father, accompanied by Congress leader Yashwant Khanna, had further alleged that after the girl recorded her statement in court last year, the MLA’s associates abducted them and pressured her into retracting.
In a development adding to the seriousness of the case, a senior district police officer disclosed that the investigation under the POCSO Act had indicated the alleged involvement of another BJP legislator from the Nachan Assembly constituency in Mandi district. Based on the victim’s statement, rooms for the alleged offences were purportedly booked by the second MLA.
The state government is now examining the option of impleading the second MLA as a respondent in the case in view of the disclosures.
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership has maintained silence on the revelations and the alleged involvement of its legislators in crimes against women, further intensifying the political storm in the state.
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