Assam Police Files Case Against IYC Chief After Angkita Dutta Alleges Harassment

Angkita Dutta has been Assam's youth wing president for the last six years.

Srinivas BV and Angkita Dutta.

(Photo: The Quint)

Assam Police on Saturday, 22 April, filed a case against Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV based on a complaint by the former chief of Youth Congress’s Assam wing Angkita Dutta.

The case has been registered at the Dispur police station in Guwahati and a team of police officers left for Karnataka, ANI reported.

The case has been filed under Indian Penal Code sections 509, 294, 341, 352, 354, 354A(iv), 506, and section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

The Congress party earlier on Saturday expelled Dutta for “anti-party activities”, days after she alleged harassment by Srinivas. She had been the youth wing president of the state for the last six years.

This comes a day after she filed a police complaint against Srinivas BV, shortly after taking to Twitter on Tuesday, 18 April, to accuse him of "harassment."

"Congress President has expelled Dr Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said in a release.

What Did She Say In the Complaint?

In the complaint filed at Assam's Dispur police station on Wednesday, 19 April, Angkita accused Srinivas of being "sexist, chauvinistic, and outraging a woman's modesty." She also alleged that Srinivas physically harassed her and used abusive words during the Congress's plenary session in Chhattisgarh on 25 March.

"He heckled me holding my arm, pushing and pulling and threatening me using slang words, saying he will ruin my career in the Congress if I complained against him to the high office bearers of the party."

The Assam Police reportedly told her that they were looking into the allegations.

Speaking to The Quint, Srinivas said that the allegations against him are "completely false" and "politically motivated."

A close aide of Srinivas further alleged to The Quint that Angkita has been in constant touch with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He also shared a purported photo of Ankita meeting Sarma.