Dehradun, Nov 7 (PTI) A woman named Jenny, who accused former Uttarakhand cabinet minister and senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat of rape more than two decades ago, demanded a fresh CBI investigation into the case and a repeat DNA test for her son on Saturday.
Jenny said she did not receive justice during the previous CBI probe.
At a press conference here, Jenny, originally from Assam, questioned the investigative process, claiming she was not heard properly. Due to a language barrier, she was unable to understand the investigative proceedings and related documentation properly, she added.
Refuting Jenny's allegations, Rawat said the CBI had already given him a clean chit, and the court had also closed the matter.
He would file a defamation suit against Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt, Jenny and others attempting to tarnish his reputation by raising this issue, he said.
The case, dating back nearly 23 years, has resurfaced as Uttarakhand assembly elections are scheduled next year. Rawat is currently the chairman of the state Congress' election management committee.
According to Jenny, she arrived in Dehradun in October 2002 from Assam at the age of 16 and stayed at the former minister's residence in Yamuna Colony for about two months.
During this period, she alleged that Rawat raped her. She further claimed that, under the pretext of being placed in a women’s shelter, she was instead admitted to a "mental asylum," where a medical examination revealed she was pregnant.
Jenny explained that at the time, she could barely understand Hindi, let alone speak it, grasping only about 10 per cent of the language.
Despite this, she was made to sign several documents without being informed of their contents, she said, accusing her former lawyer of acting in favour of Rawat.
Questioning the earlier CBI investigation, Jenny noted that agency officials neither questioned her in detail nor gave her an adequate opportunity to present her side of the story.
She also questioned the earlier DNA test procedure and asked how a test could have been performed without collecting blood samples from either her or her son.
She demanded a test be conducted afresh.
Jenny said, "My son is 23 years old today and has grown up without a father. I do not want anything for myself; I only seek justice for my son. I demand that the CBI re-investigate this case and that a new DNA test be carried out."
Jenny alleged that, at the time, the police intimidated her and forced her to leave Dehradun, warning her never to return. She was also threatened with jail if she pursued the matter further.
Jenny mentioned that her hope for justice was rekindled after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recently mentioned her name in public, giving her the courage to resume her fight.
Jenny said she has already submitted her complaint and demands to the state’s Director General of Police. She added that she will continue her struggle until she gets justice and she will not leave Dehradun.
In response to the Congress party repeatedly raising the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Dhami recently remarked that his government has taken strict action in that matter. He added that the Congress should explain under whose regime the 'Tandoor case' and the 'Jenny episode' took place.
In response to Jenny's allegations, Rawat said, "Dhami-ji, you may have started this game, but it is Harak Singh Rawat who will bring it to an end—with your departure."
Rawat explained that Jenny had stayed at his home for only two days, after which she was sent to a Nari Niketan (women’s shelter). He noted that when the matter surfaced, he voluntarily resigned from his Legislative Assembly membership and demanded a CBI investigation and a DNA test.
He had also declared that he would neither enter the Legislative Assembly nor participate in any public events until he received a clean chit, Rawat said.
Recalling that he was cleared of the allegations during the BJP-led government -- under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- at the Centre, Rawat asserted that "If there was any manipulation in that investigation, or if any injustice was done to that girl, it was the BJP government that was responsible."
Rawat questioned why, if he were truly guilty, the BJP had inducted him into the party in 2016, granted him a party ticket, and enabled him to become not only an MLA but also a minister.
He further said that after being exonerated in the 'Jenny case,' he emerged untarnished in the 'court of the public' as well. This is evidenced by his wins in the 2007, 2012, and 2017 assembly elections, Rawat said.
Rawat alleged that the BJP is engaging in the "nefarious act" of raking up this issue to suppress the public's voice regarding matters such as the Ankita Bhandari murder case, question paper leaks, and corruption.
Despite this, he asserted that the Congress will emerge and continue its struggle until the central and state governments are ousted from power.
The 'Jenny case' surfaced in 2003. At that time, Harak Singh Rawat served as the Revenue Minister in the government led by Narayan Dutt Tiwari. The matter caused a major stir in state politics, forcing Rawat to resign.
Subsequently, on the then chief minister's recommendation, the CBI investigated the case, which granted Rawat a clean chit.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)