Shimla 'rape victim' retracts statement before magistrate

A 19-year-old girl who was allegedly raped inside a moving car here has retracted her allegations against the unidentified assailant, a police officer said on Wednesday.

The "rape victim's" statement was recorded before the judicial magistrate on Tuesday under section 164 (5A) (a) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973 in which she backtracked on her charges of kidnapping and rape levelled in the FIR registered at Dhalli Police Station on Sunday, the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Shimla Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal told PTI that the probe by the 8-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Parveer Thakur would continue.

"We will take the case to the logical conclusion," he said.

In her complaint, the woman had alleged that she was kidnapped by three persons on Sunday at around 10 pm and raped inside a moving vehicle on a 1.5 km stretch between Dhalli tunnel and Bhattakufer.

However, in a press-note issued here Wednesday, the district police said that footage from several CCTV's on the entire stretch of road where the alleged crime took place was analysed but the "victim" was not abducted.

She was seen walking on the road and there is no evidence of kidnapping or rape, the police said in the note.

Alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is trying to sweep the matter under the carpet, state Congress spokesperson Narendra Kanwar demanded that the case be investigated under the watch of a sitting High Court judge.