SRINAGAR: An arrest warrant was issued against disgraced former health minister Shabir Khan Saturday, while as reports said he had already left the state.
SSP, Srinagar Amit Kumar said that the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar issued an arrest warrant Saturday under section 25 of Police Act in connection with the case registered under section 354 and 509 RPC.
As per the legal requirements Honorable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly has been approached to grant necessary permission for the arrest of the accused, he said.
Kumar said that a police team has been sent to Jammu to arrest Khan.
Asked if the Minister was absconding, Kumar said, We will arrest him as we have already dispatched a team to Jammu.
Kumar also denied that police had initially showed reluctance to take cognizance of the molestation issue and registered a case only after the intervention of court.
In reality the complainant approached the Police Station on Feb 6 and instantly police took cognizance and registered the case under the relevant sections of law, he said.
Khan, a Congress legislator, was asked by his party to step down as junior health minister on Friday, after police registered a case of sexual assault against him on the directions of a city court following a complaint from a senior lady doctor.
The doctor has alleged that the junior minister made provocative advances towards her and tried to molest her on 28.01.2014 at Civil Secretariat in a room adjacent to his office chamber.
The doctor alleged that she received repeated calls from health ministers staff over a week ago. She was told that the minister wants to know about the announcements made by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad during his visit to the hospital where she works. Despite her requests that the minister should obtain the information from Director Health Services or other senior officials, the complainant said, she was compelled to report at the minister’s office on January 28.
When she visited the minister, she said, he acted like a sexual predator” and made provocative advances, both verbal and physical. He also offered her many favours despite her resentment.
Khan is the third Congress minister to find himself on the wrong side of the law ever since the NC-Congress coalition came to power in 2009.
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