Assam woman renews allegations against Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, seeks fresh DNA test

An Assam woman, Indira Devi, also known as Jenny, has renewed her allegations against senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, demanding a fresh DNA test to establish the paternity of her son and determine his claimed legal rights.

Speaking exclusively to a national media outlet on Saturday, Jenny alleged that she was taken to Rawat's residence in Yamuna Colony in 2002, when she was 16 years old, by a party worker. She claimed that she stayed at the Congress leader's residence for around one-and-a-half to two months.

According to Jenny, she was working at a telephone booth in Yamuna Colony when the party worker took her to Rawat's house, where she was allegedly allowed to stay.

She further alleged that she became pregnant during this period and was subsequently sent to a Nari Niketan, a women's shelter, on the pretext of arranging hostel accommodation. Jenny claimed that the facility housed people with mental health conditions and said an inquiry could establish whether she had been kept there.

Renewing her demands, Jenny called for action against Rawat over the alleged sexual assault and sought legal recognition of her son's paternity. She said her primary demand was that the Congress leader be punished if the allegations were established and that her son receive his father's name and the rights she believes he is entitled to.

Jenny also called for the matter to be re-examined, maintaining that a fresh investigation and DNA test were necessary to establish the truth.
What is the Jenny episode?
The controversy, popularly known as the 'Jenny episode', dates back to 2003, when her allegations against Rawat first came to public attention in Uttarakhand.

Jenny gave birth to a child at a government hospital in Dehradun in June 2003 and claimed that Rawat was the child's father.

The then Uttarakhand Chief Minister, N.D. Tiwari, ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the allegations. A DNA test conducted during the investigation found that the child's DNA did not match Rawat's, following which the Congress leader was given a clean chit in the case.

At the time, Rawat was serving as Revenue Minister in the Congress government headed by Tiwari.

Rawat is currently a senior Congress leader and is actively involved in the party's election campaign.