"Will take cognisance...": NCST member Asha Lakra on rape allegations against Congress MLA Bhushan Bara

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 15 (ANI): National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Asha Lakra on Sunday said that the panel will take cognisance of the rape allegations against Congress MLA Bhushan Bara if any harassment is found to have been committed against a tribal girl.
Speaking to ANI, Lakra also stated that the commission will issue directions to the state government for further action to ensure justice for the victim. 
“The Commission is aware of the incident and has taken note of the information received through the media. If any form of harassment is committed against a tribal person, particularly a girl, the Commission will take cognisance of it. We will issue necessary directions to the state government for further action so that the victim can get justice,” said Lakra. 
Congress MLA Bhushan Bara, who represents the 70-Simdega Assembly constituency, has been accused of raping his minor domestic help. 
According to the written complaint submitted to the Vidhan Sabha Police Station in Ranchi, the minor alleged that she was brought to Ranchi in May 2026 by two women on the pretext of securing her school admission and supporting her education. 
However, the women allegedly took her to Bara's official residence in Ranchi instead of arranging her schooling and forced her to perform domestic labour.
The complainant further alleged that on the afternoon of August 5, when she went upstairs at the residence to serve water to Bara, the legislator forcibly assaulted and raped her. 
Later, an FIR was registered against Bara under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, said Hatia Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Niraj Kumar. 
This incident triggered political reactions and protests in Ranchi on Friday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding his immediate arrest, while Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leaders called for an impartial investigation.
However, the Congress MLA Bara rejected the allegations, calling them a fabricated conspiracy by his political opponents to damage his reputation. He said that he and his wife treated young people associated with them like their own children and denied that the complainant was employed at his residence. (ANI)