Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet https://himachalscape.com/
Shimla | Nov 2,
Political tremors have once again struck Himachal Pradesh’s Churah constituency, as sitting BJP MLA and former Assembly Speaker Hans Raj faces fresh allegations of sexual exploitation from a 21-year-old woman who had earlier filed a harassment case against him in 2024.
In a new social media video, the woman has alleged continued intimidation from the MLA, his wife, a local doctor, and a junior engineer. She claimed her family is being pressured to withdraw the previous case, warning that if any harm comes to them, she would hold Hans Raj and his associates directly responsible.
The woman also accused the Chamba Police—particularly the SHO of Churah—of colluding with the MLA. “Goonda Raj prevails under the MLA’s influence,” she said in the video, further alleging that police personnel had destroyed crucial evidence, including her mobile phone, and coerced her into deleting WhatsApp chats that could support her claims.
Meanwhile, Hans Raj has dismissed the renewed charges, calling them politically motivated. In his response, he stated that the woman had already recorded statements before three Chief Judicial Magistrates denying the allegations, following which the police had submitted a closure report. “I treated her like my daughter,” the MLA said, adding that “she is being used by certain political interests to tarnish my image.”
He also accused the woman of attempting to create communal unrest in the Churah region for “vested interests.”
The case, which first surfaced last year, had drawn significant attention after the All India Mahila Congress, led by Alka Lamba, staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in August 2024, demanding strict action against Hans Raj.
Even though no statement has been release by the state police on this matter yet, but with the issue resurfacing nearly a year later, pressure maybe mounting on the Chamba Police and the state government to re-examine the case and ensure that both justice and transparency prevail amid growing public scrutiny.
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