SHILLONG: Amidst all claims and allegations about a 14 –year-old girl being sexually assaulted by a group of people in the city on the night of January 29, the East Khasi Hills district Police on Thursday said that the girl had cooked up a story that she was kidnapped and gang-raped on January 29 last.
“On the evening of January 30, the family members gave a statement to the police that the entire narrative or speculations that the victim was kidnapped and gang-raped are all false. The girl has made up this whole story to her family members out of fear,” East Khasi Hills SP, Claudia A. Lyngwa told reporters after briefing the Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment on the status of the investigation of this case here.
The Committee had summoned the District the SP along with the officials of the Health Department to get more information about the alleged kidnapping and gang-rape of the 14-year-old minor girl.
Lyngwa also said that said that the question of consensual sex did not arise since she was only a 14–year-old minor
She also informed that the police pleaded before the court that the sections which were given as per the first FIR submitted by the mother of the child that the victim had been kidnapped and gang-raped needed be deleted.
“The investigation will just be as per various sections of the POCSO Act. The driver of the bus was arrested on the ground for having sexual relationship with the minor girl,” Lyngwa said.
Informing that the victim and bus driver were in a relationship, the SP said that the cuts and bruises were self-inflicted because the girl was too scared.
Earlier, Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment chairperson, Ampareen Lyngdoh asserted that there was no gang-rape to the 14-year-old minor girl.
“The narrative of this sensitive case needs to change immediately so that the public should know that no such thing had happen. We appreciate the Ganesh Das Hospital authorities for not disclosing any information with the media or NGOs about this case. The identity of the child has to be maintained,” Ampareen said.
She also congratulated the SP and her team for the exceptional effort put in to ensure that some clarity on this case has been shared with the committee.
“We want to give an assurance that the matter is being tackled adequately by both the medical officials as well as the police,” Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment chairperson said.
Replying to a question as to what made the committee change its stand when it earlier questioned the lack of seriousness on the part of the police to investigate this case, Ampareen said that everything was hearsay prior to this meeting
“We called the concern officials to get clarification on the matter. We are not investigators or medical experts. We are just a committee who seeks clarity about the information which we have received,” she said.
Replying to the question about the claimed made by the family members that the doctors of Ganesh Das Hospital had stated it was consensual sexual act, Ampareen said this was an allegation made by the family members.
“The doctors have given clarified on the matter and also briefed on the measures which were taken for the safety of child. We are satisfied with the briefing given to us in this case. We will now prepare our report accordingly,” she added.