GUWAHATI, Nov 11: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed support for an Assam woman seeking justice in a 23-year-old paternity dispute involving former Uttarakhand minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat.
Sarma said on social media on Wednesday that he stood with Jenny, alias Indira Deori, in her fight for justice. He made the statement a day after meeting her and condemned Rawat's alleged conduct towards her.
Jenny sought a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and a fresh DNA test to establish the paternity of her 23-year-old son. She recently went to Dehradun and appealed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for justice at a press conference.
She said she would remain in Dehradun until her demands were met. Jenny also sought security, alleging that she had received threats.
Jenny alleged that she was 16 and staying in Dehradun in 2002 when she was taken to Rawat's residence. She alleged that she became pregnant after staying there for around one-and-a-half to two months and accused Rawat of sexual assault.
She questioned the earlier CBI investigation, alleging that investigating officers had not correctly recorded her statement and had not collected her son's sample for a DNA test.
Rawat denied all the allegations, including rape, and challenged her to undergo a DNA test under court supervision. He said the earlier DNA test had found no match between him and the child and that he was given a clean chit after the investigation.
The dispute first became public in 2003, after which it was referred to the CBI following an Uttarakhand Assembly inquiry. Rawat alleged that the issue had been revived with political motives and accused the BJP of raising it to target the Congress.
