Chamba: A court has framed charges against Dr Hans Raj in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The MLA appeared before the court on Thursday, following which the trial in the case has formally begun.
The court has fixed March 30 as the next date of hearing. On that day, both the MLA and the complainant will have to appear in court and the victim’s statement will be recorded before the judge.
Earlier, police had filed a chargesheet in the Chamba court on January 21, 2026. With the filing of the chargesheet, the case moved to the next stage of judicial proceedings. During the next hearing, the prosecution will present witnesses, who will be cross-examined by the defence counsel.
According to the complaint, a woman from the Churah area had accused the MLA of sexually exploiting her after allegedly luring her when she was a minor. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the women’s police station in Chamba under the POCSO Act and other sections.
After the case was registered, the MLA moved an anticipatory bail plea on November 10. The court granted him interim anticipatory bail on November 11, which remained effective till November 22. After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order and on November 27, 2025 converted the interim bail into regular bail, subject to conditions including appearing before the court during hearings.
During the investigation, police questioned the MLA four times and also recorded the statement of his wife. Meanwhile, the complainant’s father had alleged that his daughter was threatened to change her statement, following which a case was also registered against the MLA’s personal secretary and another person.
