Family contradicts woman's version in rape charge

Srinagar, July 23 (PTI) The rape controversy took a new
turn when the husband and mother-in-law of the woman claimed
before police that she suffered from mental illness and was
at her home in South Kashmir on the day she claimed she
was sexually abused.
The statement of the family members of Ruqaya, 32, goes
contrary to her claim that she was picked up by two men in
uniform on July 19 and allegedly gang-raped for two days
before being let off on July 21.
In her statement to the Special Investigation Team
(SIT) yesterday, Amina Bi, mother-in-law of the alleged
victim, said that her daughter-in-law went missing on the
morning of July 20 and not evening of July 19.
"She (Ruqaya) had gone to a spring at 7.00 a.m on
Wednesday (July 20) and did not return till late in the
evening. We sent people in different directions but could not
find her. She returned home the next day," Amina told the SIT
officials.
Amina said she asked her daughter-in-law about her
overnight absence but she did not say anything. "She started
beating her chest and I thought she is having some pain. We
took her to Manzgam hospital where she told the doctor that
she had been raped," the woman said.
Ruqaya had alleged that she was kidnapped by two men in
uniform on the evening of July 19 and held hostage for two
nights during which she was raped in a "Dhok" at Manzgam, 80
kms from here.
Ruqaya's husband Latief Ahmad also told the probe team
that she was only missing for one night. The mother-son duo
also told the SIT that Ruqaya was of unsound mind and was
taking medicines for it.
The alleged victim was not able to give any answer to a
question of the probe team as to why she had raised no alarm
at the time of abduction even though her 'dhok' (mud house)
was less than 50 metres away and her mother-in-law and husband
were home at that time.
Asked if there was any movement of army or police around
their area on the day the alleged rape took place, Amina said
there was no such presence of uniformed men in the area.
"There was no one here...I would not make any false
accusations," she said.
In response to a question by SIT officials, the elderly
woman said she cannot say if her daughter-in-law had been
raped. "Only she can answer that question," she added.
The allegations levelled by Ruqaya led to law and order
problem in Manzgam area of Kulgam on Thursday and Friday,
resulting in injuries to several persons. A government vehicle
and private scooter were set on fire by the agitated
protesters yesterday.
Army ordered an internal probe and state police had also
registered a case against unknown people based on the
complaint of the woman.
The medical examination of the woman has concluded that
there were no marks of violence on her body including the
private parts and there was a presence of dead sperms.
As a precautionary measure, the vaginal swabs of Ruqaya
have been sent for further Forensic tests. PTI VSC
RCJ