Lawyer of accused seeks medical reports of gangrape victim, doubts victim's statement

Lawyer of the gang-rape accused, sought medical reports of the young woman, who was gang-raped in West Bengal, on the orders of a village court for having an affair with a man from another community, after court remanded all the 13 accused to police custody.

The woman, who is now recovering in a hospital, told the police that she was assaulted by the men on the night of January 20 in Birbhum district.

Police said that her male companion was tied up in the village square, while the assault on the woman happened in a mud house.

Refusing to believe the woman's word, the lawyer representing the accused in court, Dilip Ghosh, said that he had sought the medical reports of the victim as he doubted the fact that a girl could survive even after being raped by 13 men.

"The truth behind this so-called allegation of gang-rape must be unearthed. Is it possible that a girl, who has been gang-raped by 13 men, gets up and walks away from the spot? Now, the girl is supposedly in the hospital. So, I asked the court for allowing us to have the medical reports of the girl," said Ghosh.

The victim's family told media that she was assaulted because the village court believed she had violated the rules of her tribe by falling in love with a man from another community.

The couple was ordered to pay a fine of 25,000 rupees, said the victim's mother, adding that refusing to which the village head then ordered the rape of her daughter.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police, C. Sudhakar, said that all the 13 accused were arrested and had been produced in court.

"We have arrested 13 men. We are carrying out the investigation and whatever is required to probe this incident fast," he said.