Over 70 quizzed in Shimla ‘rape’ case

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 2

Despite the 19-year-old girl turning hostile, more than 70 persons have been quizzed by the police in connection with the alleged rape case. The girl had told the police that she was allegedly kidnapped near the Dhalli tunnel and raped on April 28 (Sunday).

The police are still clueless and yet to identify the accused.

A sketch of the accused, as described by the victim, is also ready.

The girl had said the accused was not known to her and was in his early 30s, wore specs and had a mole on his lower lip.

Meanwhile, ADM (Law and Order) Prabha Rajeev, entrusted with the magisterial inquiry into the role of police officials present at the Lakkar Bazaar police post to ascertain weather there was any dereliction of duty, met the victim yesterday and questioned the police personnel at the Lakkar Bazaar police post. She has also taken the footage of the CCTV camera.

In her FIR, the victim had stated that she had approached the Lakkar Bazaar police, but they asked her to go to the Dhalli police station due to jurisdiction issues. The magisterial would probe the facts and circumstances of the case and fix the responsibility of erring officials in case of any lapse.

Congress seeks judicial probe 

• The Congress on Thursday demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the Shimla rape case, saying the aggrieved girl had been pressured to take back her complaint.
• HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore alleged that efforts were being made to hush up the case as the girl hailed from Haryana and it was also a BJP-ruled state like Himachal.