Despite the state government’s clean chit to the DIG on charges of molesting villagers in Nandigram, the police are going ahead with the case against the DIG, who had a row with CPM MP Laxman Seth.
“I am weighing my legal options. While the inquiry report gave me a clean chit, there are still FIRs against me. I will ask the state government to give me a copy of the complaints and the inquiry report. While my force will be on duty in Nandigram, I have been kept out. I have received no orders to go there on May 21,” Alok Raj told The Indian Express over phone from Ranchi.
Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti had admitted on May 18 that charges against Raj were baseless. His tone was, however, different today. “All I said was that according to the inquiry report, the allegations against the DIG were found to be wrong. But this is a democratic country and if someone lodges a complaint with the police, the latter will do its duty. There is a case of physical assault against him. I never said he got a clean chit in that case,” Chakrabarti said. “How can the state government reject the complaints. The law will take its course,” he added. About the molestation case, S S Panda, district police superintendent of East Midnapur, said: “The women have lodged an FIR and we taken their statements. The matter will go to the court and trial will take place.”