Lucknow: A senior functionary of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was arrested Thursday for allegedly sexually exploiting a woman in Uttar Pradesh. The scandal comes close on the heels of the murder of a government engineer in Auraiya reportedly by a BSP legislator.

In an FIR lodged with the Aligarh police, 30-year-old Seema Chaudhary has accused State Fisheries Development Corporation chairman Ram Mohan Garg of subjecting her to sexual exploitation for the past five years.

Garg was holding the rank of a minister of state and staying in the ministerial bungalow in Gomati Nagar here.

To substantiate her charge, Chaudhary has attached a CD showing the fisheries chairman with herself in a compromising position.

According to her, Garg had clandestinely made an obscene CD to exploit her. An audio-tape with recordings of lurid conversations between the two has also been attached as evidence.

Garg was arrested in Lucknow Thursday evening.

However, an official spokesman of the party sought to completely disown Garg.

"He has nothing to do with the government or the party as he had resigned from the chairman's post last year," claimed the spokesman.

Refuting the official claim, Garg told mediapersons after his arrest at the Gomti Nagar police station: "I have tendered my resignation today (Thursday) only, even though the letter was dated Dec 31."

Top officials in Chief Minister Mayawati's secretariat remained unavailable for comment on the issue. Party functionaries declined to say anything on the matter.

Source : IANS