Man held for rape, ‘victim’ denies it!

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11

Raising many an eyebrow, the Chandigarh Police have registered a rape case against a man even though the “victim”, who is in her early sixties, has denied that she was raped. Interestingly, it was not the woman but a man claiming to be an eyewitness on whose statement a case of rape was registered at the Mani Majra police station.

According to sources, Dhayanchand (50), a resident of Mani Majra, and the woman were in an Indica car at a secluded place near the Railway light point, Mani Majra, and were seen by Rupesh Nath, who called the Police Control Room on October 9.

Dhayanchand fled away from the spot before the police arrived. He was later arrested.

In his statements to the police, the complainant, Rupesh Nath, alleged that he saw the duo in an objectionable position. Based on his statement, a case of rape was registered against Dhayanchand.

The woman’s medical examination was not conducted as she did not agree for it.

The sources said the woman, in her statements recorded under Section164 of the CrPC before the Magistrate, denied that she was raped by the suspect. The woman was sent to Nari Niketan, Sector 26, allegedly against her will even though she wanted to go back home. 

Inspector Jaswinder Singh, SHO of the Mani Majra police station, said the case was registered on the statement of an eyewitness, who saw the act. “The statements before the Magistrate are recorded independently. If the woman is denying that she was raped, we can’t say anything. Since the woman’s address was yet to be verified, she was sent to Nari Niketan,” the SHO said.  

Guriqbal Singh Sidhu, ASP (East), said the police received information following which teams were sent to the spot. “Before the police teams reached the spot, the suspect had fled, leaving the woman behind,” the ASP said.

He said prima facie, it was a case of rape following which the suspect was booked.

“For conducting the woman’s medical examination, her consent was required, but she didn’t agree for it,” the ASP said.