Charges against AAP leader false

Mumbai: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that the sexual harassment case with the Oshiwara police in which their Mumbai leader Mayank Gandhi has been named is an attempt at character assassination. “During the election campaign, Mayank Gandhi was approached by a young female volunteer with a complaint of harassment by a male colleague. He suspended the man immediately and referred the complainant to Preeti Sharma Menon, member of the national committee on sexual harassment.  “Preeti asked the complainant to file a police complaint but the girl was reticent. So Preeti promised her an internal inquiry. Preeti mentioned the case to the National Committee on Sexual Harassment and then asked the State Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) to conduct an inquiry under the ‘Vishakha guidelines’. The inquiry in under progress,’’ read a statement from AAP. “It is shocking that the same lady has today turned the harassment case into a molestation case and has chosen to file a complaint in which she has falsely alleged that Mayank Gandhi threatened her to refrain from filing a complaint with the police,’’ the AAP said. The AAP said it was shocked and dismayed that the police could so easily include the name of a political leader of national stature in a case without a shred of evidence. Gandhi is in Rajasthan and is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Monday.