Molestation case against Hazaribag BJP leader

Hazaribagh police has launched a hunt for a senior district BJP leader who allegedly molested a minor girl and was thrashed by locals for his act, a police official said on Thursday.

Shankar Prasad Gupta, the 62-year-old former Hazaribagh district president of BJP is absconding since he was confronted by the victim's mother and thrashed by the locals on Wednesday, he said.

The police have registered a case against him under sections of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act.

It has launched a search for Gupta and raided several places, the official said. Hazaribagh superintendent of police Manoj Ratan Chauthe has ordered the officer-in-charge of Barabazar police station, Yogendra Mishra and the sub-divisional police officer (HQ) Mahesh Prajapati to arrest the accused forthwith.

The officer-in-charge of Barabazar police station said that the victim's mother said in her statement that Gupta, who owns a flour mill in Barabazar locality of the town, had allegedly molested the 13-year-old when she went there on October 3 to get wheat ground for the family.

Gupta had allegedly lured the girl and molested her. He had then given her Rs 10 and warned her not to disclose the incident to anyone.

The girl narrated the incident to her mother on Wednesday. The mother then rushed to the flour mill and protested against the incident.

A heated argument followed with Gupta denying any involvement in the incident. Locals who had gathered at the spot then caught hold of Gupta and beat him up, police said.

BJP leader, however, managed to free himself and fled from the scene.

The victim's mother then registered a case and when the police investigating team went to his house on Thursday, it found Gupta was absconding.

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