BJP Candidate For Chhattisgarh Bypoll Accused In Jharkhand Rape Case, Says Congress

The ruling Congress on Sunday claimed Brahmanand Netam, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Bhanupratappur bypoll in Chhattisgarh on December 5, is an accused in a rape case in neighbouring Jharkhand and that he had not mentioned its details in his election affidavit.

Mr Netam refuted the charges and termed it as the Congress' “conspiracy” to malign his image.

In a press conference in Bhanupratappur town here, state Congress chief Mohan Markam said his party will complain to the election commission seeking cancellation of Brahmanand Netam's candidature for allegedly furnishing false details in his nomination form for the bypoll.

On May 15, 2019, Jharkhand police had lodged a case at Telco police station in Jamshedpur wherein a 15-year-old girl was allegedly pushed into the flesh trade and raped by several persons, Mr Markam alleged.

The case was lodged under sections 366 A, 376, 376 (3), 376 AB, 129B of the IPC, sections 4 and 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, he claimed.

Initially, five people were arrested in the case and during investigation, former BJP MLA Brahmanand Netam, a native of Charama town in Kanker district, and four others were also named as accused in it, he said.

Even the case charge sheet bears the name of  Mr Netam as accused, but he concealed the details in his election affidavit filed as part of nomination for the Bhanupratappur bypoll, he claimed.

"By nominating him, the BJP is apparently trying to give a message it is at the forefront in giving protection to such criminals. If there is any morality left in the BJP, it should withdraw its party symbol from Netam. If it does not do so, then the people of Bhanupratappur will teach a lesson to them," he added.

"The Congress will complain to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren seeking arrest of Netam. It will also complain to the returning officer and office of Chief Electoral Officer Chhattisgarh demanding cancellation of candidature of Netam for allegedly furnishing false details in his election affidavit," Mr Markam said.

Rejecting the allegations, Brahmanand Netam told reporters no such case was registered against him.

"Fearing defeat in the bypoll, The Congress has been levelling such allegations as a conspiracy to malign my image. No case is registered against me. Had it been so, I would have mentioned it in my election affidavit,” Mr Netam claimed.

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