E-Paper
Women were arm-twisted to accuse Amritsar temple priest of rape: Police
Two of the eight conspirators who arm-twisted the women to make false allegations have been arrested
The case in which two women had alleged that they were raped at Dera Guru Gian Nath situated on the premises of a historic temple in Amritsar was a conspiracy to unseat the dera priest, police have found in the investigations.
Two of the eight conspirators who arm-twisted the women to make false allegations have been arrested, police said.
On May 18, police had arrested two priests and booked four people for rape on the complaint of two women, aged 25 and 45.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vikramjit Singh Duggal told the media that when the medical report of the women didn’t confirm rape, the women were questioned. “They spilled the beans and told the police that it was a conspiracy of Tirath Singh, Joga Singh, Gopal Singh, Tarsem Singh, Vicky, Mandeep Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Meghnath of different villages in Amritsar to unseat dera’s head Baba Girdhari Nath,” he said.
The SSP said the women have told the police that the 14-year-old son of the elder of the two was also abducted by the eight accused to pressure them to do as desired. “The women said the accused had also offered ₹5 lakh to them for the work. We have also rescued the boy from the house of a relative of Tirath Singh in Mudhal village.”
Both the women recorded their statements before a judge in Ajnala court under Section 164 of the CrPC, confessing that they were not raped, the SSP said.
The SSP said they have also arrested two of the eight accused —Tirath Singh and Joga Singh. “Raids are on to nab the other accused,” he added.
Police have now registered a fresh case against the eight accused under sections 195-A (threatening any person to give false evidence), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 365 (kidnapping), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
