BJP leader booked for harassing woman; accuses MLA of framing

Phagwara (Pb), Apr 26: A local BJP leader was booked for allegedly harassing a woman even as he today claimed he was being framed by a party MLA.

BJP district General Secretary Gurdeep Singh Deepa was booked on Sunday under sections 354-A (sexual harassment of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC after the woman filed a complaint.

However, in a press conference, Deepa refuted the allegations and accused party MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Som Parkash of pressuring police to register an FIR against him. He said the matter was brought to the notice of Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla. When contacted, Parkash denied the allegations and said he never interfered in police functioning.

"Law takes its own course and I have nothing to do with what was said against me," Parkash said. Deepa, whose wife is a councilor, also accused BJP Mayor Arun Khosla of indulging in corruption. Khosla, too, denied the charges levelled by Deepa. Meanwhile, Deepa claimed that another BJP leader was involved in drug trade.

He said he will disclose the name of the leader and furnish documentary evidence if the state DGP gave him assurance of action against the drug mafia functioning under the "big gun" of BJP here.

Councillors Om Parkash Bittu -- former personal assistant of Som Parkash, Kuljit Kaur, Vicky Sood, BJP's former Block presidents Balbhadar Sein Duggal, Pankaj Chawla, former district president Tejasvi Bhardwaj were also present in the presser.

Availing the opportunity, PPCC General Secretary Joginder Singh Mann and Congress former district president Harjit Singh Parmar today demanded CBI probe into Deepa’s allegation. They also asked the BJP MLA and the Mayor to quit in view of serious allegations leveled against them by their own party leader.

Another Congress leader Jarnail Nangal with party leaders met Phagwara SP Ashwani Kumar and demanded high-level probe into Deepa’s allegation about a BJP leader indulging in drug trade.

PTI