Gurgaon: Women's hostel warden alleges assault by Red Cross Secretary

Gurgaon, Jan 27: A warden of Red Cross working women hotel today alleged that she was assaulted by an official of her organisation and police personnel during the Republic Day function attended by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

"I was one of the invitees for Republic Day function at Tau Devi Lal stadium here. I was standing in a corner of the venue, when Shyam Sundar Sharma, Secretary of the hostel, came and started threatening me. He was forcing me to leave the venue," alleged warden of the Red Cross working women's hostel Urmil Raish.

She further claimed when she said that it was her fundamental right to participate in Republic Day function just like common people of the country, and she also had a valid invitation card for entry, "he held me by my arm and pushed me."

As a result, Raish alleged she fell down, her spectacle also fell down and she also lost her ear rings. Sharma, who had pushed the warden, was later given an award for outstanding job in the field of Social Justice and Empowerment by the Chief Minister during the event.

Raish alleged that her apathy did not end there "as policewomen deployed at the venue also pushed me along with Sharma to leave the place."

However, District Magistrate T L Satyaprakash, who was also present during the function termed it as a "trivial issue" and said "we are looking into the matter". Prima facie, he said, it could be a matter of personal conflict between the two Red Cross society officials.

Raish had lodged a complaint in Sadar police station against Sharma. The conflict between Raish and Sharma is said to have started after Satyaprakash, who is also a president of district Red Cross Society, outsourced contract of working women's hostel to a private organisation.

PTI