Ahmedabad gang-rape victim moves Gujarat HC to shift probe from Crime Branch
Ahmedabad, July 2: The father of a 22-year-old alleged gangrape victim here approached the Gujarat High Court on Monday seeking transfer of investigations from the Crime Branch to any other agency, a day after the victim levied allegations against the probe agency.
"According to Section 164 (of the Criminal Procedure Code), the victim's statement should have been recorded before a magistrate within 48 hours of the complaint, but police have not done so. So we approached the high court seeking that. The Gujarat HC has now sought response from police and the government. It would hear the plea on Tuesday after 2.30 p.m.," said Dakshesh Mehta, the victim's lawyer.
The case of the gang-rape in a moving SUV came to light last week when the victim filed a police complaint. Following the complaint, seven persons, including two women, were booked. The victim stated that she was not just raped but the accused also filmed the horrific incident and later blackmailed her with the footage.
She named three persons, including Vrishab Maru, Gaurav Dalmia and Yamini Nair.
Even as the city police's Crime Branch claimed to have moved onwards with the investigations, the victim on Sunday alleged, at a media briefing, that the head of Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Joint Commissioner of Police J.K. Bhatt was asking her weird questions and pushed her to reach a compromise with the accused.
"The Joint Commissioner said that I levied allegations because of my break up with Gaurav, one of the accused, and that he can never commit such a crime as he is (docile) like a cow!" the victim said.
Following the allegations, authorities replaced Bhatt with Shweta Shrimali, DCP, Zone-4 as in-charge of the investigations. "Bhatt requested himself to be excused from the case as aspersions were being cast against his integrity and investigations. We accepted his request," said Ahmedabad's Commissioner of Police A.K. Singh.
In another related development, the family of accused Vrishabh, came out in his support, claiming that he did not even know the victim and that the social media account which has been quoted by the victim was a fake one.
In a media briefing, Vrishabh's father said: "Vrishabh was in Madhya Pradesh and had switched off his phone as he got scared on learning about the complaint. He is incommunicado. Vrishabh is not involved in this. We demand a detailed investigation in the case."
Aggresively backing her son, his mother said: "The girl does not even remember when she was raped, which date. There is no witness or proof on wooden log being inserted in her private parts as claimed by her. Where is the CCTV proof or any witness," she asked.
Meanwhile, prime accused Gaurav stated that he is willing to undergo a lie detection as well as narco-analysis test to prove his innocence.
Meanwhile, Gujarat State Women Commission chairperson, Leelaben Ankolia, who visited the victim and her family on the day after the complaint was lodged, on Monday, said: "We have asked police to send us an action report within seven days from the complaint. We will ensure that the victim daughter gets justice."
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UDF will have huge win in Kerala, NDA won't open its account: Cong leader Satheesan
Kochi (PTI): Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan on Friday expressed confidence in a huge win by the UDF, claiming it will make a clean sweep in five districts, and brushed aside speculations that the NDA will open its account in Kerala.
Satheesan, speaking to reporters here a day after the conclusion of the Assembly polls, praised the performance of the UDF leaders and workers during the election, saying it was the best ever he has seen in the last 30 years.
He said that his claims of the UDF getting over 100 seats is not a mere statement, but based on the work the front has done during the last five years to bring back all those who had left it in 2005 and as a result, there was a huge wave in its favour in the state.
The leader of opposition in the state assembly, who contested from the Paravoor constituency, further said that the Congress-led front also had a major social backing from minorities and marginalised groups in the society.
Besides that, there was an anti-incumbency feeling among the people who were disappointed with the LDF rule, he claimed and said that the UDF provided them with a hope and an alternative which no other opposition had done in the past.
"All these factors will contribute to a huge win for the UDF and it would not be surprising if we make a clean sweep in Malappuram, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. That is a total of 43 seats," he said.
According to him, the polling percentage increased because the UDF got people added to the electoral list.
He also brushed aside the LDF remarks about a woman or youth CM, saying that "they can make such statements now as they know they cannot win".
"Otherwise, why did they campaign with Pinarayi Vijayan as the main factor. Why did they say a third Pinarayi rule will come?" he asked.
He also claimed that the LDF's decision to spend government money on its political campaign, by putting up hoardings and carrying out social media programmes to sway voters, has also backfired as people realised that their taxes were being wasted like that.
Asked whether the NDA will open its account, especially in areas where the UDF claimed the BJP-led front had made a deal with the LDF, Satheesan replied in the negative.
He said that as of now he does not see any chance of the NDA opening its account in the state.
