Sexual assault case: HC gives Una SDM no immediate relief

Shimla: Una (civil) subdivisional magistrate Vishwa Mohan Dev Chauhan failed to secure any immediate relief from the Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday after his anticipatory bail plea was deferred in a case where he faces rape charges filed by a national-level athlete.The Himachal Administrative Service (HAS) officer had approached the high court on Thursday, but a bench led by Justice Rakesh Kainthla denied any interim protection and instead issued a notice to the state govt, demanding the investigation report by Friday. Since Justice Kainthla was unavailable on Friday, the matter was brought before a coordinate bench led by Justice Bipin Chander Negi, which declined to grant any immediate relief, postponing the next hearing on Chauhan's plea until Oct 3.Chauhan's counsel had argued that the allegations against the civil magistrate were false and affirmed the officer's willingness to cooperate with the police investigation. The charges stem from a first-information report (FIR) lodged at Una Sadar police station on Tuesday. The charges include sexual intercourse under a false promise of marriage and criminal intimidation.The complainant alleged sexual assault on two separate occasions: once in Chauhan's office on Aug 10, and later at a govt rest house in Una, despite her resistance. The two had reportedly met on social media. MSID:: 124161503 413 |