Congress Leader From Odisha’s Sambalpur Arrested Over Torture Allegation

Sambalpur: Former president of Sambalpur district Congress committee (DCC), Assaf Ali Khan, has been arrested for allegedly mentally torturing a woman party leader.

According to reports, the woman, who was removed from the post of general secretary of the party’s minority cell on December 19, attempted suicide by consuming phenyl on Thursday. Before the suicide bid, she circulated a letter among her acquaintances and police officials via WhatsApp accusing Assaf of mentally torturing her.

The woman alleged that she was under severe mental trauma since Assaf was defaming her and threatening to spoil her career. She also accused her husband of torturing her mentally and physically for the last 15 years.

Police detained Assaf on Thursday evening and arrested him subsequently under Sections 354, 354(a), 109, 309, 323, 500, 506, 509, and 34 of the IPC.

Assaf has, however, refuted the allegation. “Her husband had written to me, raising serious allegations against her and sought my assistance. I had intimated the issue to senior leaders of the party. I resigned from the post of DCC president when my concern went unheard,” he told the media

Assaf resigned from his post around three months back.

Sambalpur DCC president Rajendra Chhatria said the it was a personal matter and the party had nothing to do with the incident.