Panipat girl, who alleged molestation, takes U-turn

Tribune News Service

Panipat, September 18

A day after a 12-year-old girl from a village of Samalkha alleged she was kidnapped and molested, she took a U-turn on Tuesday and told a judicial magistrate that nothing of the sort happened.

Recording her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC, she said she was afraid after her mother scolded her for studies.

On Monday, the girl — a Class VIII student — alleged 10 persons kidnapped her while she was on her way home from school and molested her. Later, her father and villagers found her in the fields in an unconscious condition.

The police registered a case against 10 persons under Sections 342, 365, 354-A and 34 of the IPC, and Section 10 of the POCSO Act on the complaint by the victim’s father.

Women’s police station SHO, Inspector Kiran, said the girl said before the magistrate she was not kidnapped. “She said she went out of the house after her mother scolded and hid in the fields for two hours,” the SHO added.

After the girl levelled allegation of molestation on Monday, she was taken to General Hospital, but she refused to undergo medical examination.

Jagdeep Duhan, DSP (Headquarters), said though the victim had retracted from her statement, the investigation was in progress to verify the conjectures.