HC grants bail to suspended BJP MLC in sexual harassment case

The Patna High Court today granted bail to suspended BJP MLC Tunna Ji Pandey in connection with a case of alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl onboard a train.
A single bench of Justice Hemant Kumar Srivastava granted bail to Pandey while hearing his petition in this connection.
Pandey was arrested on July 24 on the basis of a written complaint by the parents of the 12-year-old girl who alleged he had molested their daughter after asking her to come to the toilet while travelling in AC-2 coach of the Howrah-Gorakhpur Poorvanchal Express around 3 AM when the train was nearing Sarai station close to Hajipur junction.

Hajipur Government Railway Police had filed 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.
It may be noted that a sessions court in Hajipur had on August 1 dismissed the bail plea of Pandey in the sexual harassment case.
The BJP had suspended the MLC within a few hours of the alleged incident on the same day i.E. July 24.