Himachal Pradesh: Politics intensifies over Shimla 'rape incident'

SHIMLA: Politics has intensified over the alleged rape of a girl in a moving car in Shimla on April 28, with former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh demanding the resignation of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and questioning the silence of police department.
While Jai Ram Thakur retaliated by saying that Virbhadra Singh sometimes said things which were not based on facts, police claimed that investigation was being done on a day-to-day basis even as reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory were awaited.
While interacting with media persons on Tuesday, Virbhadra Singh had questioned the silence of police on the allegations of girl and had claimed that due to elections, the state government was protecting the accused. Expressing his annoyance on taking the sensitive matter lightly, Virbhadra Singh had even demanded the resignation of Jai Ram Thakur.
Jai Ram Thakur while interacting with media persons in Shimla on Wednesday said that being a senior leader Virbhadra Singh is being respected but he should not try to influence the investigation. He said that Virhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh is also very active on social media on this issue as he was the eyewitness to the incident.
He said that if Vikramadtiya Singh has any evidence, he should bring it forward to include it in the investigation. Attempts being made to influence the investigation is not correct, he added.
According to police officials, an FIR was registered on April 29 on the statement of the victim that she was being stalked from April 17 onwards by a person and on April 28 she was raped in a running car by the same person and two other males were also present in the car.
Police officials said that immediately after the FIR, the victim was medically examined and all physical evidences were recovered and seized. They said that Forensic Science Laboratory team also visited the spot.
According to officials, reminders to Forensic Science Laboratory Junga have been sent and the statement of victim under Section 164 was recorded by the judicial magistrate in which she retracted from statement recorded in the FIR. In investigation also, victim changed her statement frequently.
An Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on the evening of April 30 comprising eight members including three female members. Call Detail Record (CDR), CCTV footages and dump analysis was done. In all CCTV footages, the victim is on foot and not in any car as mentioned in FIR.
A sketch was prepared by a professional person as per the direction of victim, in her presence. Teams were sent in different directions.