In a fresh development in the ongoing probe of the rape and extortion case involving Uttarakhand BJP MLA Mahesh Singh Negi, the Uttarakhand Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UCPCR) has summoned the complainant woman for allegedly undertaking an illegal DNA test of her 3-month-old daughter who she claims is the biological daughter of MLA Negi.
The summon was served by the UCPCR on Monday in which it asked the woman and her husband to appear before it to present her side on the allegations of illegally undertaking the DNA test of the child, i.e. without any directions of the court. The summon was served on an application given by former chairman of Bar Council of Uttarakhand Hari Singh Negi to the body alleging the woman and her husband on the same.
HT has a copy of the summon served. In the summon, the UCPCR stated that in the aforementioned matter, “the Commission is summoning you in pursuance of its powers under the provision of section 14(i) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. The Commission has the powers to monitor the implementation of provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, RTE Act and POCSO Act”.
“Now therefore in the above matter, you are hereby required (personally) to appear before this Commission at 2.30 pm on September 19 at Commission headquarters. If you fail to comply with this order without lawful excuse, you will be subject to the consequences of disobedience under Code of Civil Procedure, 1908,” stated the summon.
The development comes days after the Commission wrote to the investigation officer of the extortion and blackmailing case against the woman, for probing the claims of the woman on undertaking the DNA test of her daughter and husband at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh where she had delivered the child.
In that matter, the Commission, while citing the police’s reply, stated that “no such DNA test was held in that hospital as per the woman’s claims”. The woman had then refuted the claims of the Commission and said that she had got the DNA test done at a laboratory in Delhi.
The woman’s counsel SP Singh, meanwhile, said that “The summon is yet to be received by them. Once we get it and study it, then only we can comment on it,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, the Dehradun police’s Special Investigation Squad (SIS) conducted the medical examination of the woman on Monday in the investigation of the rape case registered against MLA Negi.
Arun Mohan Joshi, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dehradun, said “The medical examination was conducted as per the legal procedure. She would also soon record her statements before the court in the investigation.”
Many developments have taken place since August when the matter first came to light. Negi’s wife and one of the accused in the rape case, Rita Negi, had lodged a complaint against the woman accusing her of blackmailing and trying to extort Rs 5 crore. Based on the complaint, the police booked the woman along with her husband, mother and sister-in-law.
A few days later, the woman lodged a complaint against MLA Negi, accusing him of raping her for the last two years and fathering her child. She also demanded a DNA test of her child and Negi to prove her claims. A case was registered later on the directions of a local court in Dehradun where she had filed a petition, demanding the case to be registered against Negi. The police had refused to do so saying “the complaint will be included in the ongoing probe of the extortion case as it pertains to the same matter.”
