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In IIM-C rape case, woman misses medical test; her mobile switched off: Police
The Kolkata police said the 24-year-old woman didn’t turn up to undergo the medical examination or to record her statement before the magistrate on Monday
Kolkata: The 24-year-old woman, who alleged that she was drugged and raped by a second-year student of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) on Friday, didn’t turn up to record her statement before a magistrate or to undertake the medical test on Monday, police said.
A senior police officer, aware of the developments, also said that the investigating officials couldn’t contact the survivor as her and her father’s mobile phone were switched off.
“The survivor didn’t turn up to undergo the medico legal examination or to record her statement before the magistrate under Section 183 of the BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) on Monday,” said the police officer.
Police had said on Saturday that the woman, a psychological counsellor, was allegedly raped by a 26-year-old student inside the hostel in IIM-C on Friday. The Kolkata Police had registered a first information report (FIR) based on the complaint lodged by the survivor and had arrested the accused, Paramanand Mahaveer Toppannawar. The court sent him to police custody till July 19.
On Saturday, however, the survivor’s father, who was an advocate in a district court, countered her version of events saying that she was doing fine and that she was made to lodge the complaint.
“My daughter said that no one misbehaved with her. She called me around 9.40 pm on Friday and said that she fell down from a vehicle and lost consciousness. She was made to file the complaint,” he said without mentioning who.
A senior police officer said that as the survivor was an adult, her statement recorded before a magistrate under Section 183 of the BNSS would also be a vital piece of evidence. The results of the medical tests of both the survivor and the accused also become a crucial piece of evidence in a rape case. It looks for injuries and collects forensic evidence.
“The court has fixed yet another date on Tuesday to record the statement of the survivor under Section 183 of BNSS. The survivor has also refused to give her clothes for forensic examination,” said an officer.
“Even we couldn’t speak to the woman. We tried to get in touch with her. But we were told that neither she nor her family members want to speak to anyone,” Leena Gangopadhyay, chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women told HT.
Police have already registered a case under sections 64 (rape), 123 (administering drug to commit offence), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 115(12) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 76 (forcefully disrobing a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the basis of the survivor’s complaint.
