Madhya Pradesh: FIR against two Congress MLAs for harassing female co-passenger in Rewanchal Express

Bhopal: A woman in Madhya Pradesh has lodged a complaint against two MLAs of the Congress party for allegedly harassing her in an inebriated state when she was travelling in Rewanchal Express.

However, the MLAs Siddharth Kushwaha (37) and Sunil Saraf (48), both Congress MLAs representing Satna and Kotma assembly constituencies respectively for the first time in the state assembly, claim that the charge against them is false and called it to be a conspiracy against them.

The victim stated that MLAs Siddharth Kushwaha and Sunil Sharaf boarded the train at Katni. They were having their meal while she was sleeping on her berth. Between Ghatera and Sagar railway stations, the duo allegedly woke her up and asked her to have a meal with them. On refusing, one of the MLAs held her hand and continued to force her to have a meal. 

Woman lodged complaint at Habibganj: The woman deboarded the train at Habibganj and filed the complaint to Habibganj police station and the FIR has been registered at Sagar government railway police station.  

MLA denies charge: But MLA Siddarth Kushwaha denied the charge. He said he failed to understand why the woman had leveled such allegations against him and his colleague MLA.

He said he exchanged his berth with the woman on her request as she was carrying her baby and wanted the lower berth. The MLA said it was in Sagar when a police team arrived in the compartment and he came to know about the complaint against him.

We were not drunk: Kushwaha said he or Sunil Saraf had not consumed alcohol but no medical was done to confirm this. It was dark, we did not even see the woman’s face. We suspect conspiracy because the woman has written even our age in the FIR. How did she know how old we are, asked Kushwaha

Kushwaha said it was not possible for anyone to indulge in such a criminal act when there are co-travelers, ticket-checking staff, coach attendants, government railway police personnel, etc. He said as public representatives, we can’t think of even indulging in such an act.

Other MLA Sunil Saraf also denied charges.