‘Rape victim’ retracts statement

Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, December 14

In a new twist to the case pertaining to the alleged rape of a 20-year-old girl at a hotel in Dera Bassi, the victim today backtracked from the charges levelled in the FIR and denied the incident of abduction and rape in her statement recorded before the Magistrate.

The girl retracted the charges while she was recording the statement under Section 164 of the CrPC in front of the magistrate. The victim told the magistrate that the rape never happened, denying her initial statement. This happened a day after the initial complaint was filed. She stated that she met with an accident therefore she had dialed 112 for help.

Despite the denial of the rape charge by the 20-year-old victim, the police will continue with its inquiry.

The victim, who belongs to West Bengal, in her statement to the police on Friday, alleged that she boarded a train for Ludhiana from West Bengal. She met the suspect through her journey and they became friends.

The victim told the police that the suspect took her to a hotel in Dera Bassi on the pretext of booking a room there and allegedly raped her. The suspect somehow managed to flee away leaving the victim in the hotel room.

On her complaint, the police have already registered an FIR under relevant sections of the IPC. The police have already seized records of the hotel for investigations.