(Image source from: Son of an arrested NRI journalist seeks help from Ottawa})

The son of arrested Punjabi Canadian Journalist is seeking help from Ottawa to make sure his father is safe, after India TV showed a video where he claim that, he has been ill- treated in jail.

Baltej Pannu, an NRI Radio Reporter from Canada has been arrested last week by Patiala police on charges of rape and fraud and threat on a complaint of a woman  who claimed that, she  has been duped into a sexual relationship under false charade. The woman said in an interview with  thestar.com,  that she was deceived by Pannu, who has promised to marry her and insisted to have sex.

“Things are really very difficult, these allegations are true and I don’t want to explain everything,” the woman said over the phone from Patiala,  said authorities.

Actually, two years before, Indias’s Supreme court has ruled that consented sex as rape if the marriage is wrongly  promised. “Any consent given under a misconception of fact, would not be considered as valid consent,” the court wrote in a May 2013 decision, “and thus, such a physical relationship would (be) tantamount to committing rape.”

Pannu’s son, Jasdeep (23) said that, “It’s totally politically motivated. Everybody knows he was speaking against the government,”.

The journalists in Canada  are tremendously supporting him and demanding  him to set free. Supports claim that, Pannu has been wrongfully arrested for reporting on government corruption and the racket of the drug trade in Punjab.

Videos are posted by an Indian TV station, showing Pannu claiming on the  question of  a journalist  that he has been harassed and humiliated in prison.

The Canadian government is aware about the arrest of a Canadian citizen on charges of rape in the state of Punjab. Consular authorities are contacting with the local authorities. Officials are trying to assemble more information about the case,  spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada  said in an emailed statement to thestar.com

According to his son, Pannu has been sent to judicial custody till December 13.

- Nandini