The mother of a seven-year-old 'rape' victim has levelled serious allegations against the Deonar police, asserting that they deliberately didn't invoke the rape charge under the Indian Penal Code against the accused because he is the brother of an influential 'khabri' or informer. In a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VI) Hemraj Singh Rajput, the woman said that the 'khabri' even offered Rs 70,000 to withdraw the complaint. The doctors followed the instructions of the women cops and accordingly prepared the medical report to dilute the case, read the letter whose copy is with the Free Press Journal.
Complaint raised by the woman
"The Deonar police did not register the crime of sexual intercourse and threat against the accused despite a valid complaint being made by me. The accused has been allowed judicial custody without the appropriate charge of sexual intercourse,” said the woman in her letter sent on February 9.
Alleging that the family members of the accused were giving her threats, she further said that the police have failed to provide us with adequate protection. The mishandling of the case and the failure to conduct a proper panchnama of the crime scene has resulted in the destruction of crucial medical evidence, underlined the woman.
She further said, “The medical examination of my daughter was performed as per the police's instruction. At the hospital, I was removed from the room (where the girl was being checked) and was not allowed to see the medical process. I say that my minor daughter has not only been sexually assaulted but also raped by the accused.”
Mother offered Rs70,000
The complainant pointed out that the accused tried to have intercourse with her daughter as she suffered pain in her private parts. “On the night of registering the FIR, I was offered Rs70,000 and was warned that if I do not compromise then my case shall be diluted and the accused shall go scot-free by registering the B-summary (closure report),” she added. After much hue and cry, the police simply the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, but did not file the charges of rape, destruction of evidence, threat, unlawful confinement, said the woman.
“I have come to know that there has been planning to get the accused released on bail,” she said.
Police's version of events
Meanwhile, DCP Rajput said, “We have applied all the relevant sections in the case.” An offence has been registered under the Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault of woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (A) (sexual harassment) as well as POCSO provisions 8 (sexual assualt) and 12 (sexual harassment). The Act's provisions 4 and 6 relating to penetrative sexual assault were added later following the woman's “insistence”.
