A rape victim has accused a Delhi Police officer stationed at the New Ashok Nagar Police Station of allegedly “helping” her assaultor in getting bail from the Delhi High Court by not producing complete evidence.
Without denying or accepting the allegations, Pinky Rana, the investigating officer (IO) whom Asha holds responsible for ruining her case, said that the victim is free to complain against her in a court if she feels that there has been any shortcoming in the procedure.
The 22-year-old victim, Asha (name changed) approached The Sunday Guardian with her story. She did odd jobs at a Noida-based company where the perpetrator worked in the Human Resources department. Asha said, “He took advantage of our friendship and raped me. I did not report the incident then because I was too shocked. When I resisted him he said he would marry me, took me to a temple and marked me with vermilion. He said we can have formal rituals later. But I was still not comfortable in getting physical with him. I gave in because I believed that we were married. Then I learnt that he is already married and has a kid. I lodged an FIR in October last year.”
Accusing Pinky Rana, the IO of her case, Asha said, “She did not produce the whole evidence in court. I had been receiving threat calls since I had lodged an FIR, yet he was granted bail and the residential address in the bail is also wrong.” Chetali, a counselor at Jagori, an NGO that works for women’s empowerment, said,” Only if there is a proof that the perpetrator promised to marry and then forced himself upon the victim, it is considered as rape.” Asha accused Rana of not producing the evidence in court. “I had told the police that the perpetrator had convinced me that he will marry me and he even registered me as his wife when we once checked-in at a hotel. But the IO did not mention this in the court,” she said. “The IO did not tell the judge that I had been receiving threat calls either,” she added.