BJP leader held in Uttarakhand for allegedly molesting minor girl in Almora, case filed

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was arrested by the police for allegedly molesting a minor girl in Almora district of Uttarakhand.

Devendra Pincha, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Almora, said on Sunday that Bhagwat Singh Bora, accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, was arrested on Saturday night.

The alleged incident took place on August 24 in the Salt revenue area, and an information regarding this was received on August 30, said the SSP.

The police have registered a case against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 74 (assault or criminal force on a woman to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

After recording the girl's statement, she was sent for medical examination.

Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the incident, Bora, who was the block unit chief of the saffron party’s Salt region, has been expelled with immediate effect on the instructions of BJP’s state president Mahendra Bhatt.

The Congress held statewide protests attacking the BJP for its record on crimes against women.

Attacking the ruling BJP over the issue, state Congress president Karan Mahara alleged that the BJP government has given “license” to its leaders in the matter of atrocities against women.

In a statement, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s state president termed the incident as “very unfortunate” and said that the accused has been expelled from the party.

He also said that the Pushkar Dhami government in the state is implementing a policy of “zero tolerance” towards crime.

“In this case also, whether the accused is small or big, influential or associated with any political party, our government is taking the strictest action… As far as the organisation's side is concerned, the leader involved in the incident has been dismissed from all posts with immediate effect and shown the way out of the party,” he said.