Ahd gangrape: Guj HC seeks govt's view on victim's father's plea

The Gujarat High Court today sought the state government's view on a petition filed by a gangrape victim's father, seeking that the probe into the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other competent investigating agency.

The court asked the state government to make its stand clear by 2:30 pm tomorrow.

The court of Justice R P Dholaria said the offence was very serious and questioned the police for not recording the victim's statement, as per Supreme Court guidelines, under section 164 of the CrPC within 24 hours of the FIR being filed.

In a complaint lodged at the Satellite police station here on June 28, a 22-year-old woman had claimed that four unidentified persons had abducted her in an SUV from the Nehrunagar area of the city in March and two of them had raped her and filmed the act to blackmail her.

The woman had also stated that she was abducted again in the same SUV by three of the four accused on the night of June 27 from the Maninagar area and molested, before she was allowed to go.

The father of the victim approached the high court today, seeking that the case be transferred to the CBI or any other competent investigating agency.

In the petition, he alleged that instead of taking action against the accused, the police were forcing the victim to modify her complaint and treating her as if she had committed a serious offence.

The petitioner further claimed that the police had not followed an apex court guideline, which mandated that a rape victim's statement was required to be recorded before a magistrate within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.

He alleged that the victim's statement was not recorded even after four days had passed since the FIR was lodged.

The victim had yesterday alleged that the police officer investigating the case was threatening her and putting pressure on her to change her complaint.

The police have booked seven persons, including two women and the victim's boyfriend, on charges of rape and abduction.