E-Paper
Cops? visit raises many eyebrows
WHY DID COPS ?TAKE statement? of the Ashiana rape victim at the protection home on Saturday when they already have her recorded version? What exactly was the purpose of the statement raises many eyebrows. But, officiating Circle Officer (CO) Sarojininagar RP Singh Sengar claimed that he talked to the girl whether she was comfortable in the protection home. In the absence of open access to the home, media persons and women organisations are unable to crosscheck as to how fast the girl is recovering.
WHY DID COPS ‘TAKE statement’ of the Ashiana rape victim at the protection home on Saturday when they already have her recorded version?
What exactly was the purpose of the statement raises many eyebrows. But,
officiating Circle Officer (CO) Sarojininagar RP Singh Sengar claimed that he talked to the girl whether she was comfortable in the protection home.
In the absence of open access to the home, media persons and women organisations are unable to crosscheck as to how fast the girl is recovering.
Women organisations allege that since meeting with the girl is restricted, it is very difficult to know her well being. “At least, an independent group of experts should be allowed entry to verify the police claim,” said a woman activist.
In fact, the news of SO Ashiana taking thumb impression of the victim’s father on a plain paper made many stand on their toes with suspicion.
SO Ashiana KK Yadav denied to have forced father of the rape victim for the thumb impression on a plain paper. He said it was officiating CO Sarojininagar who had recorded the statement of girl’s father on Saturday.
Sengar also admitted to have met the girl’s father there and taken his statement about the money offered by Shakti Vahini member Deepa Bhatt. The CO, however, did not inquire the victim’s father about the threats being issued to him. Sengar did not even hand over the copy of the statement to the girl’s father despite his repeated requests.
Significantly, SP (East) Rakesh Pradhan too had recorded the statement of girl’s father about 15 days back regarding the same matter but he had misled DGP Bua Singh about the report then.
CO Sengar failed to give the reason as to why he went on to record the same statement from the girl’s father.
Talking to the HT Live Sengar said he had gone to the protection home at Moti Nagar to record the statement of the girl on Saturday. The CO said he asked the girl if she was facing any problem in the home. He also inquired the girl if she was being provided good food and living there.
Sengar further said the girl told him that she had no problem at the protection home and was living properly there.
The CO said he met her father too there. He inquired him asto who had come to offer money regarding the rape case. The girl’s father allegedly replied that Deepa Bhatt and an unidentified woman had come to him offering Rs 50,000 for withdrawing case against the main accused Gauarv Shukla. A case in this connection has already been registered at the Ashiana police station.
However, no action has yet been initiated against Bhatt or those who had issued life threats to the girl’s father.
