BJP leader arrested in Uttarakhand for allegedly molesting a minor girl in Almora

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician was arrested by police for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in Almora district of Uttarakhand.

Almora Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Devendra Pincha said on Sunday that Bhagwat Singh Bora, accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, was arrested on Saturday night.

The alleged incident occurred on August 24 in the salt distribution area and information was received on August 30, the SSP said.

The police have filed charges against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman for the purpose of outrageping her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

After the girl's statement was recorded, she was sent for medical examination.

Meanwhile, Bora, the Salt region block president of the saffron party, took note of the incident and was expelled with immediate effect on the instructions of BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt.

The Congress staged nationwide protests and attacked the BJP for its crimes against women.

State Congress chief Karan Mahara attacked the ruling BJP on the issue, claiming that the BJP government had given “freedom” to its leaders in the matter of atrocities against women.

The national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party described the incident as “very regrettable” in a statement and said that the accused had been expelled from the party.

He also said that the Pushkar Dhami government was implementing a policy of “zero tolerance” towards crime in the state.

“In this case too, our government is taking the strictest measures, regardless of whether the accused is small or big, influential or affiliated with a political party… As far as the organization is concerned, the leader involved in the incident has been dismissed from all posts and forced to resign from the party with immediate effect,” he said.