Court rejects MLC's bail plea in sexual harassment case

A sessions court here today dismissed the bail plea of suspended BJP MLC Tunna Ji Pandey in connection with the case of alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl onboard the Howrah-Gorakhpur Poorvanchal Express a week ago.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ)(I) Padma Choubey dismissed the bail petition.
Additional Public Prosecutor Manoj Kumar Sharma said the Hajipur Government Railway Police today submitted charge sheet against the MLC under section 354 A (sexual harassment) of IPC and section 10 and 12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012.
Pandey was arrested on July 24 on the basis of a written complaint by the parents of a 12-year-old girl.

The parents had alleged that Pandey molested their daughter in an AC-2 coach around 3 AM and asked her to come to the toilet with him when the train was near Sarai station close to Hajipur junction, Sharma said.
The frightened girl raised an alarm following which her parents, who had their berth elsewhere in the compartment, rushed to her.

The MLC was caught by the police escort onboard the train and handed over to the GRP, Hajipur, the SP said.
The court had remanded Pandey in judicial custody the same day.
Embarrassed by the episode, the BJP had suspended the MLC within a few hours of the incident.