Wanted ‘rape victim’ held by Yamunanagar police

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 30

A “rape victim”, who was out on bail after being arrested 10 days ago for faking a rape case, was arrested by a team of the Yamunanagar police in another case while she was addressing a press conference here today.

According to the Yamunanagar police, the woman was wanted in a case registered against her under Sections 420 (fraud), 384 (punishment for extortion), 389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence in order to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC in Jagadhri city.

A communication from the Yamunanagar police was received by the Panchkula police this afternoon that the “rape victim” was holding a press conference and should be detained. The woman had just begun talking to mediapersons alleging that the investigations were not conducted in a fair manner when women police officials reached there and arrested her.

The woman was arrested by the Panchkula police on August 20 after two inquiries conducted by senior officers found she was extorting money from the person against whom she had levelled rape allegations. Officers had also recommended the suspension of ACP Desh Bandhu as there were allegations that the ACP had demanded Rs 40 lakh in the case to “frame the accused”.  

The police later got to know that it was a gang and she had got other such rape cases lodged against people.

“On February 16, 2015, a case of rape against Pawandeep Singh was lodged in Yamunanagar by the ‘victim’. However, during the investigation, the police found that the ‘victim’ was allegedly demanding Rs 40 lakh and managed to take Rs 15 lakh in connivance with a few police officials. She was wanted in that case,” said a senior police official.

On March 18 this year, she got a case registered against another person in Nahan. Though she had demanded the same amount, the deal did not materialise as the police immediately “showed the arrest of the accused”.

On May 22 this year, the “victim” got a case lodged against an Ambala resident in Panchkula. However, this time senior policemen got to know that an ACP, now posted with the HVPNL, was also involved in demanding Rs 40 lakh.

To ensure a fair probe into the allegations, separate inquiries were ordered in May and June.

The initial inquiry was conducted by the DCP (Rural), Ambala, in which he mentioned,citing call details how the ACP was in touch with the accused through his touts and “spent about an hour and 18 minutes with him before demanding a bribe of Rs 40 lakh”. The case was transferred to the SIT, headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ambala-Panchkula, which again indicted the ACP for demanding a bribe of Rs 40 lakh through his touts to save the accused in the rape case.