Guwahati, Apr 23: The Assam Police on Sunday asked Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas B V to appear before it by May 2 for questioning in connection with allegations of harassment and gender discrimination against him by now-expelled party leader Angkita Dutta.
A police team from Assam issued a notice to Srinivas at his Bengaluru residence, with the order stating that failing to comply with it could lead to his arrest.
“A five-member team of Guwahati Police are in Bengaluru. The notice was pasted on the door of his residence as he was not present,” Joint Commissioner Prateek Thube told PTI over phone.
“He has been given time till May 2 to appear at Dispur police station,” Thube, who is a part of the Guwahati police team in Bengaluru, said.
The notice said that during investigation, “reasonable grounds” have been revealed to question Srinivas in the case and, hence, he has been asked to appear before the investigating officer, at 11 am on May 2.
A set of 10 directions was given to Srinivas for compliance during the period, including not tampering with evidence, not allowing destruction of any evidence relevant to investigation and cooperating with the probe.
“Failure to attend/comply with the terms of this notice can render you liable for arrest under Section 41 A(3) and (4) of CrPC,” it added.
Dutta, who was the Assam Youth Congress chief, had filed a case at the Dispur police station last week, claiming that Srinivas has been “harassing and torturing her for the last six months by making sexist comments, using slang words and also threatening her with dire consequences if she keeps complaining against him to the senior party office bearers”.
She had earlier made similar allegations against him in a series of tweets.
Dutta, who was issued a show-cause notice by the party, was expelled from the primary membership for six years on Saturday for “anti-party activities”.
Srinivas had issued a legal notice to Dutta within hours of her tweets, demanding an apology for her remarks.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) had also taken suo motu cognisance of Dutta's allegations and written to the state police for taking necessary action.
