Karnal extortion case: Police get 1-day remand of woman who accused school owner of rape

The woman, who was arrested for allegedly extorting money to withdraw the rape complaint she had filed against the owner of a local school and a senior government official, has been sent in one-day police remand.

She, along with her husband, was arrested on August 21 from outside the Karnal district court while allegedly taking Rs 7.25 lakh from the school owner’s men. The police had claimed to have recovered the money from her possession.

The next day, the police produced her in court and sought her two-day remand for the recovery of Rs 6 lakh, which they claimed the woman had already taken from the school owner.

However, the police failed to convince the court at that time as the investigating officer could not establish whether the woman was caught red-handed or not. The court had then sent the couple to judicial custody.

As per the police officials privy to the case, the remand was granted to take the woman to her residence in Kurukshetra for the recovery of money. The police said they will also take her voice samples to match them with some telephonic conversations and also question her in connection with other evidence the school owner provided to the police against her.

On the appeal of the woman’s advocate, the court has allowed him to accompany her. “We requested the court that the interrogation should be done in a dignified manner and the court allowed an advocate to remain present during the interrogation,” her advocate Rahul Bali said.

Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Surender Singh Bhoria said, “She is well within her rights to have an advocate with her, but at a certain distance. He cannot interfere in the investigation though.”

However, in a brief interaction with mediapersons at the court, the woman refuted the allegations and claimed that she was implicated.

She also accused the police of torturing her, a claim rejected by the latter.

SP Bhoria said she is an accused and she could level any allegation. “She was in the judicial custody and the police cannot torture her. Also, soon after her arrest, she was produced in a court after medical examination. She did not make any such allegation in the court,” he added.