SC to hear plea of Youth Congress president Srinivas BV against FIR in harassment case on May 15
May 08, 2023
New Delhi [India], May 8 : Indian Youth Congress president BV Srinivas on Monday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in an FIR filed against him by expelled woman party member for allegedly causing her mental agony.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala agreed to list the case on May 15 for hearing.
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Srinivas, mentioned the case for early listing saying the leader was being hounded in Assam.
The Gauhati High Court on May 5 rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Srinivas in a case lodged by the former Assam Youth Congress president accusing him of causing mental agony to her.
The High Court had also refused to quash the FIR.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that Srinivas persistently harassed her mentally through sexist remarks and slang words.
On her complaint, an FIR was registered to book Srinivas under Sections 352 (assault or criminal force), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (1)(iv) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
The woman had claimed that Srinivas had heckled her, held her arm, pushed and pulled her and used slang words during the party's recent plenary session in Raipur. He had also threatened to ruin her career in the party if she complained against him, she alleged.
The alleged offence had occurred in Raipur, Chhattisgarh which was beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Dispur police station, where the case was filed and Assam Police had no jurisdiction to investigate or register an FIR for an offence which allegedly took place in Chhattisgarh, Srinivas said.
The Congress had issued show cause notice to the woman and later expelled her from the party's primary membership for six years for anti-party activities.
