In a fresh development in the alleged Alwar rape case, the father of the disabled minor girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted on 11 January, claimed on Monday, 31 January, that two men had slammed her to the ground on the Tijara bridge.
The father held a press conference on Monday and said his daughter had informed him about the same through gestures.
He added that he did not trust the police investigation and said that the administration wanted to keep the matter under wraps by bribing him and his family. "I demand justice," he said.
The girl had been found injured and abandoned on the Tijara bridge in Alwar, Rajasthan, on 11 January. Her private parts were bleeding profusely when she was found.
The father added that his daughter was raped. "That's why she informed through gestures that the two men had slammed her to the ground on the flyover and beat her up. She is not able to tell anything more. She starts crying on being questioned further," he said.
He added that his daughter was being treated at a hospital in Jaipur.
"The police are on guard duty 24 hours. We are scared now. They are there even at night," he said.
The victim's mother told The Quint on the phone that her daughter had informed her she was beaten up. "She does not explain anything else," she said.
The mother said that the girl had given her statement through gestures in front of a senior officer, which was recorded on video.
Alwar Collector Meets the Family
The father also said that the Collector of Alwar had come to meet them.
"He said we would be given land and a plot. I told him I wanted justice. He said he would get us the land and the plot through the government. The government is helping with cash assistance. He also said that Rs 10-15 lakh will be given in the accident case," the victim's father said.
He also raised questions about the police investigation.
The state government has recommended a CBI inquiry to investigate the matter.
Changing Statements of the Police
The police's changing statements in the case have also raised doubts.
Earlier, Alwar SP Tejasvi Gautam had hinted at rape. "The girl was admitted to a hospital where it was found that there was a lot of bleeding from her private parts. The police are probing the matter," SP Tejaswani Gautam had told ANI.
However, three days later, Gautam said that the minor was not raped and investigations were in progress to ascertain the cause of her injuries.
Later, Dr Arvind Kumar, Superintendent of JK Lone Hospital in Jaipur, said that there were, in fact, no injuries to her private parts.
"No injury in private parts. Only police or medical jurist can confirm whether there was any sexual assault, we are only treating her."
'Not Informed About FSL Report': Victim's Father
However, the victim's father said that she would have received injuries on other body parts as well if it had been a simple accident case.
He added that he was not informed about the FSL report (Chemical Analyst's Report) either. He said that his daughter's blood sample was taken, and she was made to sign on blank papers.
He added that they were not given much information about the FSL report on the 'salwar' that his daughter was wearing and other items that were found.
"Later, the FSL report confirmed that semen stains had been found on her 'salwar'."
"Since then, information about this being a rape case has been coming out. However, the police are avoiding giving any statements on the matter," he said.
What Happened on 11 January?
On 11 January night, the girl's parents received a call from police personnel about how their daughter had been rushed to a local hospital in Alwar.
At 7.30 pm, she had been found lying in a pool of blood on a flyover – 25 km away from her house. The girl had been missing for eight hours.
The family then lodged a complaint at Akbarpur police station in Alwar and also submitted her photo. Later in the night, they received a phone call from the police asking them to come to a hospital in Alwar where she was admitted to.
Later, the National Commission for Minorities took suo motu cognisance of the case and sought a report from the Rajasthan Chief Secretary by 24 January.
A case was also registered under Sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) and the Indian Penal Code. Also, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been set up to probe the matter.
A victim compensation assistance of Rs 3.5 lakh was given to the minor. The state government had also announced a compensation of Rs 6 lakh for her.
The case grabbed national headlines, with the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan being accused of a cover-up. There was also a shutdown in Alwar city on Saturday, 22 January, with many demanding that the culprits be arrested.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)