Former Samajwadi Party MP Chandra Nath Singh was detained and later released in Shahjahanpur after a young girl accused him of molesting her on the Padmawat Express.
Mr Singh, 62, was asked to get off the train late on Sunday night in Shahjahanpur and then detained for attempting to molest a female co-passenger on board the Delhi-bound Padmawat express.
When the GRP personnel detained the former MP, it was found that Mr Singh was travelling on a wait listed ticket in the AC coach. The girl accused him of being drunk and of sexually harassing her.
The passengers in the train supported with the girl’s allegation and even testified before the police team about the former MP’s misbehaviour.
Soon after his detention, the SP leader complained of pain in the chest after which he was admitted to the district hospital, police said. Meanwhile, the main Opposition party in the state Assembly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a walked in the Legislative Council and demanded stringent and immediate action against the SP leader.
Mr C.N. Singh, however, claimed that he was innocent and had simply asked the girl to move a little so that he could sit on the berth. The girl’s parents later told the police that they were not interested in pursuing the case any further and said the former MP had apologised to them and had regretted his behaviour. Police officials said that the matter was closed since the girl and her family members gave a written undertaking saying that they were withdrawing the case registered at the Shahjahanpur government railway police (GRP) station.
Sources said that the complainant was subjected to immense pressure from the detained leader, officials and the members of the ruling party, after which she withdrew her complaint.
Ram Asrey Kushwaha, senior SP leader, had said that the matter would be brought before party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, and necessary action will be taken if the party leader was found guilty.
Rajya Sabha member and senior SP leader Naresh Agarwal termed the incident “very serious” and said that if the leader was found guilty, he would be expelled from the party.