Police refuse to file FIR against minister

Raipur, November 04

Justice delayed is justice denied. Former member of the Institute of Rural Development in Chhattisgarh Dr Manjeet Kaur Bal is still running from pillar to post for justice after she was sacked in the aftermath of her complaint to senior officers against Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ajay Chandrakar’s disrespectful behaviour with trainee women officers in the department. After knocking the doors of Chief Minister, Governor and Prime Minister in search of justice, Bal, on Wednesday, reached Rakhi police station in Naya Raipur seeking registration of FIR against Chandrakar. However, when the cops, too, refused to entertain her, she assertively said she won’t hesitate in moving court against the minister in case of no option left.

On Wednesday, the cops including Station House Office Jeetendra Tamrakar were nervous lot when Bal requested them to file FIR against Chandrakar and retired deputy director Bhawani Shankar Tiwari of Panchayat and Rural Development department for continuously insulting and harassing her.

She handed over a complaint letter seeking FIR against the minister to the SHO but the latter reportedly expressed his inability to do so. The SHO was so frightened that he immediately called upon CSP Mukesh Khare who said no criminal charges could be framed against the minister merely on Bal’s complaint. Bal, thereafter, met SP BN Meena who assured of taking action after conducting probe on her complaint.

Bal, who was also the chairperson of the committee against women harassment at IRD, in her letter to the police wrote that she was working in the IRD for last four years but she was abruptly terminated when she complained to her bosses against Chandrakar for sexually harassing nine trainee female officers at his residence.

She pointed that her appointment was invalidated by the minister on grounds of ineligibility without conducting inquiry. She said the minister harassed her socially and financially and expressed apprehensions that he would continue to do so in future too because he was in power.

She accused that she was targeted by the minister for being a woman while two more members of the IRD – LK Sharma and Ajay Gurudiwan were continuously given service extensions despite their appointments being done through fake procedures. She said the two did not even submit required certificates for the posts they were holding.

She said despite her courageous move to expose the minister’s conspiracy against her, the State government did not take any cognisance. She apprehends that Chandrakar could cause harm to her and her family members and would let no stone unturned in mentally torturing and defaming her.

Meanwhile, Chandrakar is pleading innocent since the beginning of the episode. He also refuses to identify the complainants from Bal to the trainee officers. Ironically, the notesheet that mentions order against Bal’s termination carries Chandrakar’s signature, a rare practice as it could have been done by some senior officer too and the minister’s involvement was not needed.