By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
my uttarakhand news Bureau
DEHRADUN, 7 Nov: Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat on Saturday strongly denied the rape allegations levelled against him by Jenny from Assam and accused the BJP and the State government of reviving a two-decade-old case for political reasons. Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters here on Saturday, Rawat claimed that the controversy has been deliberately reignited to divert public attention from issues such as the Ankita Bhandari murder case and alleged paper leak scams.
Rawat’s denial claims come following a press conference held by Jenny from Assam earlier in Dehradun, where she had alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by Rawat in 2002 when she was just 16 years old and had also sought a fresh DNA test of her child and Rawat.
Rawat alleged that the move was orchestrated by the BJP and claimed the woman Jenny has been brought to Dehradun as part of a planned political exercise. He claimed that the BJP is rattled by Congress’ recent campaigns and public outreach programmes in Uttarakhand. Referring to the controversy as a “Diwali gift” from the BJP, he asserted that the party is attempting to mislead the public.
The former minister maintained that the allegations had already been investigated by the CBI and adjudicated by courts. According to him, the case was closed nearly 23 years ago and reopening it now amounts to disregarding the findings of the investigating agency and judicial orders. He said that when the allegations first surfaced in 2003, the BJP was in power at the Centre and the CBI functioned under that government. Rawat claimed he had received a clean chit during the investigation and subsequently obtained relief from the courts.
He challenged Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, saying the government has initiated the controversy and that he would take the matter to its conclusion. Rawat also questioned allegations regarding the DNA investigation and demanded that any doubts be examined through an impartial probe. He said he had himself sought a DNA test and a CBI inquiry when the issue first emerged and would cooperate with any fresh investigation, including the SIT probe recently ordered by the state government.
Rawat further stated that he would pursue legal action against anyone attempting to tarnish his image and said that he would file a defamation case. He also claimed that the woman had apologised to him in 2016 and alleged that her statements had changed over time.
It may be recalled that the controversy relates to a 2003 case in which an Assam-born minor girl Jenny had given birth to a child at a government hospital in Uttarakhand and had alleged that Rawat, then a minister, was the father. Rawat had resigned at the time and the matter was investigated by the CBI. The issue resurfaced recently after political remarks on the case and gained fresh attention when the woman arrived in Dehradun and reiterated her allegations. She claimed she was only 16 years old at the time, was under immense pressure, and had not received a fair investigation. She also alleged that she was threatened after returning to Uttarakhand and questioned the manner in which the earlier CBI inquiry had been conducted.
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