'My son deserves his father's name': Assam woman revives rape allegation against Harak Singh Rawat

More than 23 years after a controversy involving former Uttarakhand minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, Jenny, also known as Indira Dewri, has returned to Dehradun, renewing her demand for a fresh Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and a DNA test to establish her 23-year-old son's paternity.

Addressing a press conference at the Uttaranchal Press Club, Jenny appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for justice and said she would remain in Dehradun until her demands were addressed.

"I want a fresh CBI investigation and another DNA test. I want nothing else — just a name for my son," she said.

"My 23-year-old son should get his father's name. My son should get his rightful due. The CBI investigation should be reopened. There should be a narco test and a DNA test. I request the Chief Minister to ensure that I also get justice, just as Ankita Bhandari got justice," she added.

Jenny questioned the manner in which the earlier CBI investigation was conducted, alleging that officials had met her only once and had not properly recorded her account.

"The CBI came to meet me just one time. Is that how an investigation is done?" she asked.

"They did not question me properly. I could not understand 90 per cent of what was being said," she alleged, adding that she was distressed at the time and struggled to understand Hindi.

She also questioned how a DNA test could have been conducted, claiming that no one had visited to collect her son's sample. Her account could not be independently verified.

Jenny alleged that she was a minor when the incident took place and that fear had prevented her from speaking publicly for years.

"Whenever he went, he was in a position of power. I was told my case would never be reopened," she said, referring to Rawat.

She said she had returned to Dehradun seeking a birth certificate for her son and that this was her third visit to the city. Recalling an earlier visit, she alleged that police personnel had escorted her out and warned her against returning.

"There were a hundred or two hundred policemen. They told me, 'Don't come back'," she said.

Jenny also alleged that she had received threats and appealed to the Chief Minister for protection.

"Staying here poses a threat to my life. I have come with the hope of getting justice from CM Dhami. I was threatened and told not to even set foot in Uttarakhand. There should be absolutely no politics over my name. If anyone engages in politics using my name, I will file a defamation case against them," she said.

Harak Singh Rawat challenges DNA test

Responding to the renewed allegations, Rawat denied the charges, including the allegation of rape, and challenged those involved to undergo DNA tests under court supervision.

"Get DNA tests done on Dhami, Anil Gupta, Mahendra Bhatt and everyone else involved, along with me, under the court's supervision. And if even today any stain or wrongdoing is proven against Harak Singh Rawat in the Jenny case, I will retire from politics," he said.

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress state headquarters, Rawat accused the BJP of using the controversy to divert public attention and target the Congress.

"The game has been started by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and I will end it with his departure," he said.

Rawat claimed that the controversy had been revived because the BJP was unsettled by the Congress's campaigns and recent protests.

The case, which dates back to 2003, was examined by a state Assembly inquiry and subsequently investigated by the CBI. A DNA test reportedly conducted during the investigation found no match between Rawat and the child, following which the former minister was given a clean chit.

Jenny has now sought a fresh investigation and another DNA test, while Rawat has reiterated his denial and called for a court-monitored test.