MP: A week after Mhow incident, statement of rape survivor yet to be recorded

Bhopal: A week after the assailants attacked two army officers and allegedly outraged modesty of a woman at the picnic site of Jam Gate at Mhow under Indore district in Madhya Pradesh, police was yet to record statement of the rape survivor, leaving many puzzled.

Sources said that the rape survivor who has been admitted to a local hospital following the alleged sexual assault on her by the assailants at around 2.30 am on September 11 was yet to ‘feel comfortable’ to give her statement to the police.

“She is yet to recover from the shock to give her statement to the police”, Indore district additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rupesh Kumar Dwivedy told this newspaper on Tuesday.

The delay in recording statement of the alleged rape survivor has however raised questions as to if the lack of a statement by the alleged victim would hamper the investigation process.

Sources said that the way the police handled the case has raised many eyebrows and the delay in recording statement of the alleged rape survivor would further fuel all kinds of speculations on the incident.

Mr Dwividey however said that lack of statement by the rape survivor would in no way impede the progress of the investigation since other people linked to the incident have given their statements.

“The rape survivor is not in a position to give statement”, he said.

Sources said that the army has begun an internal enquiry into the incident to find out if it has any implications on security.

In a related development, all the six accused in the incident were sent to judicial custody on Monday.

Two army officers along with their two women friends had gone to the scenic spot purportedly for picnicking on September 10.

One of the two army officers along with his woman friend stayed back in their car while the other two had gone to the nearby hilltop.

The army officer and his female friend who were inside the car were attacked by the assailants at around 2.30 am on September 11. The woman was allegedly gang raped.

The other army officer and his female friend had rushed to spot when they heard the commotion and found the assailants holding their friends hostage for ransom.

They later informed the matter to their higher ups after being let off by the assailants to get the ransom money.