CHANDIGARH: A senior IAS officer, Mrs. Rupan Deo! Bajaj, whose modesty ‘Was allegedly outraged by the former DGP, Mr.K.P.S, Gill, eight years has Recalled vividly her traumatic experience before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Shekhar Dhawan.

Mrs. Bajaj, who was attired in a printed Saree, came to the court which was held. inside the police auditorium, in Sector 29 along with her husband Mr. B.R. Bajaj and mother, amidst tight security. However, Mr. Bajaj was not present in the court room when the statement of his wife was being recorded.

In her 90minute deposition before the CM, Mrs. Bajaj, who is the complainant and main prosecution witness, said: ”Mr. Gill slapped my posterior in the presence of senior officers, their Wives and some press correspondents on July 18, 1988 at a private party hosted by Mr.S.L. Kapur, the then Financial Commissioner (Home), at his residence.”

Mrs. Bajaj, who is a Financial Commissioner (revenue) in Punjab, while narrating the sequence of events told the court that she had attended the party along with her husband. According to her, Mr, Gill came and occupied a chair just a few chairs away from hers. Mr. Gill who was inebriated, told her. “Please come and sit beside me. I want to talk to you about something.” Mrs. Bajaj said that since she did not s any foul play she proceeded towards a chair next to his. But when she was about to sit down, he suddenly and unexpectedly pulled the chair right next to his.

“I   was surprised, I picked up the chair and put it at its original places but when it was just about to sit on it he again pulled at nearer to him and I nearly lost my balance,” she said. She then told him firmly that she did not want to sit near him as she doubted his intentions. She then left the place immediately and ‘went back to the ladies.

Continuing her statement, Mrs. Bajaj said: “After about 10 minutes Mr. Gill ‘got up from his chair and stood in front ‘of me in an indecent manner with his Tags just about four inches away from my knees. He also made a gesture with the crook of his fore linger beckoning me towards him, with a towed expression on his face.”

Mrs. Bajaj said that she strongly objected to this and asked him to behave himself and go away as he was acting in an obnoxious manner, But this made no difference to him and he repeated his gesture again and asked her to get up immediately, AS per her version, Mr. Gill did not move away but instead blocked her way by standing in front other. I would have come up against him: if I had tried to stand up. Moreover, I felt that he wanted to pull me up forcibly so as to touch my person, “Mrs. Bajaj said.

Mrs. Bajaj told the court that when in reflex action she pulled her chair back so as to get up and leave the place, Mr. Gill hither with his hand on her posterior in front of everybody. “I felt very tense, ashamed and humiliated at his immodest step,” she said adding that in Indian society any self-respecting Woman would feel Outraged at such an act which was against all the tenets of decent behavior.

Mrs. Bajaj then ran to Mr. Kapur, the host, for protection and told him in a ‘very agitated manner that his DGP. Had misbehaved with her and that he was. Not fit for decent company, Shehad also ‘asked him to take’ strict’ action against him. She also approached Mr. Pathak, the then Intelligence Bureau Joint Director, who was also present at the dinner party, and asked him to report the matter to the Union government.

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 7, 1996