’Missing’ in Rajasthan, Minister Nihal Chand Meghwal Seen in Delhi

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 11, 2014:  Nihal Chand Meghwal, the union minister accused by a woman of raping her three years ago, is "missing", say the police in Rajasthan. They say they don’t know whether he will show up on Wednesday at a court in Jaipur that has summoned him.
 
The 43-year-old minister has been summoned along with 16 others in the rape case filed in June. In Delhi this morning, he was present when his senior Birender Singh, who joined the Narendra Modi government on Sunday, took charge as Rural Development Minister.

Mr Meghwal, a minister of state, has been shifted from Chemicals and Fertilizers to Panchayati Raj, but he has not been dropped despite the controversy.

He has not been named as a suspect by the police, a fact his party, the BJP has said in his defense when opposition parties have called for his sacking.

In 2012, the state police investigated the woman’s complaint and closed the case. She then went to a lower court, which summoned the minister and others named by her.

In August, when Mr Meghwal did not appear in court, the police in his constituency Ganganagar said they could not find him to serve him summons as he has been staying in Delhi.  The court then ordered the Ganganagar Superintendent of Police to make sure the minister received the court notice.

The minister visits Ganganagar frequently and on October 19, he was there to adopt a village. A lawyer representing the complainant says there is no reason for the police to not track him down.
 
Sources in Raisingnagar, the minister’s hometown, say he may not appear in court tomorrow.
 
The case of the "missing minister" has been seized by the Congress, which has asked PM Modi to explain. The party’s Digvijaya Singh tweeted this morning, "Missing Minister of GOI ! Modi must respond. How can Rajasthan Govt claim that a Minister in GOI can’t be traced ? Good Governance Mr Modi ?" On Monday, the Congress raised questions on many of the 21 new ministers that have joined the government.
 
The BJP alleges that Mr Meghwal was framed by the previous Congress government of Rajasthan.

 

Courtesy: NDTV