Bhopal: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has assured Congress leaders to inquire into MLA Hemant Katare’s case, here on Sunday. Leader of Opposition in State assembly Ajay Singh, MLA Arif Akeel and MLA Nilanshu Chaturvedi met the chief minister here on Sunday. The Congress leaders also handed over a memorandum to Chouhan seeking a high level probe wither by a retired High Court judge or from CBI. CM assured opposition leaders of instituting an inquiry into the case.
Police on Friday had booked Congress MLA on charges of abduction and rape after a 21-year old journalism student, currently in jail for allegedly extorting money from Katare, filed a complaint. Later speaking to reporters here, Singh claimed that case against the MLA is a result of a political rivalry and the police are becoming a tool in it.
Akeel said that they have also informed the CM about the involvement of police officer who allegedly want to implicate the MLA. Singh said that Katare had filed the case of extortion and blackmailing against the girl and Crime Branch police registered a case after the verifying the complaint.
The girl was caught red-handed while accepting money and was then sent to jail, however, surprisingly eight days after, police registered two cases against the MLA. On the complaint of the girl, Katare has been booked for rape, while the girl’s mother has lodged a complaint against the MLA for allegedly kidnapping her, said Singh.
Alleging that police is acting under political pressure, Singh demanded that since case has been registered against the MLA police should now thoroughly probe the entire matter and take action against the guilty. Meanwhile in a letter written to Assembly speaker, the LoP has stated that in democracy the member of a legislative assembly is a public representative and assembly speaker should conserve the grace, reputation and rights of the MLA.
