Embattled Railway DIG Presents his Case
Patna: July 16, 2007
Railway Protection Force (RPF) DIG Premjeet Rawal, who has been charged with sexually assaulting Sujata, the sister of IAS officer Vandana Preyasi, on Sampoorna Kranti Express a few days ago, appeared before a railway court in Patna on Monday where he denied all charges saying it were the two sisters who had mistreated him and acted in hostile manner.
Amidst tight security arrangement, Rawal, who was represented by his lawyer H. N. Monga, arrived at the makeshift court at Patna Junction where Railway SP Sjitabh Kumar and investigating officer Alok Kumar Singh were waiting for him.
During the hour-long interrogation, Rawal said that the charges leveled against him were fabricated and a pack of lies.
Monga told the court that on July 8, the two sisters who were also traveling in the same AC Ist Class compartment, at around 11:00 pm, started to talk loudly about the poor conditions of the Indian Railways. When Rawal asked them to keep the noise low, the women got angry at him.
Later, the little girl with the sisters also tore down a piece of paper that Rawal was using to jot down some notes, Monga told the court. Again, when Rawal asked the women to keep the child under control, the sisters hurled verbal abuse at him.
As if that was not enough, the two women argued with him once again when he turned the light on before heading to the bathroom and snatched his mobile and his ID, Rawal's lawyer told the court.
Interestingly, when asked why he did not file a complaint against the two women, Rawal failed to provide a satisfactory answer to the court.
The RPF DIG left the court with his lawyer in a hurry and did not respond to any question asked by the reporters.
"I am innocent and charges leveled against me are baseless and lies," the DIG said.
Rawal is expected to post his regular bond at the Railway court on Tuesday.

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