August 02, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1429

HYDERABAD, Aug 1: The Manu Bheel case took a new twist on Thursday when Tando Jam police lodged a case against the peasant on a complaint of a woman, accusing him of attempted sexual harassment. Police have made no arrest so far.

The case is lodged under Sections 451, 376(1), 511, 506(2), 34 of PPC and 336A(i) under directives of the additional district Judge-I after Meena, the wife of Keval, moved the sessions court, seeking registration of a case against Manu Bheel, Gaenu Kohli, Ramu Kohli and Lal Khan Pathan.

The woman claimed that they had barged into her house at Usman Sipyo village in Tando Jam, on July 7, and tried an attempt of sexual assault.

She said the men were armed with weapons and sticks. However, when she raised hue and cry they fled away, she claimed.

Manu Bheel has denied the allegations, saying that a similar application was given to the Kotri police some time back on similar charges levelled by the said woman, who was also residing in the Sikandarabad hari camp in Kotri.

“It is a drama being staged against me,” he said.

He said Meena and her husband were associated landlord Abdul Rehman Marri and had got kidnapped some haris in 2004, but they were recovered by police.

“The woman is residing in the camp while her husband Kewal is residing near Zealpak cement factory,” Manu Bheel said.He said that he had been staging hunger strikes along with Ramo, Gainu to raise voice for his case and it was an attempt to sabotage his struggle.

Comrade Ghulam Hussain Malokani of Hari Himmat Welfare Society who is pleading Manu Bheel’s case also reacted to the registration of what he called a false case.

“It is an attempt by Abdul Rehman Mari and his allies to sabotage our struggle,” he said.

He said that a similar attempt was made by the said woman earlier, but her allegations proved baseless and the case was disposed of by the Kotri police.

Mannu Bheel is struggling for recovery of his nine family members who were kidnapped in May 1998 from Jhuddo allegedly at the instance of Abdul Rehman Mari, a power landlord.

Mannu Bheel had gone on a hunger strike for 1,000 days. However, his family is yet to be recovered.