Ahmedabad gang-rape victim moves Gujarat HC to shift probe from Crime Branch

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."

--IANS

desai/vd