Model rape: Mumbai police to go for fresh medical test

Police investigating the alleged sexual assault and robbery case involving a 29-year-old model today said they cannot say at this juncture whether she was raped and would be able to confirm her accusation only after getting her medical test done.

Eight persons, including three policemen, have already been arrested in connection with the case, wherein one of the personnel is accused of raping the woman in a police post in Andhrei MIDC earlier this month.

"It would be wrong to jump to the conclusion, merely on the basis of the medical report which the model had secured herself, that she was sexually assaulted or raped," said Dhananjay Kulkarni, DCP (Crime Branch), also the spokesperson of Mumbai police.

Kulkarni said police were not rejecting the medical report of the model, but are planning to put her through medical examination as per the set procedure, once she returns to the city.

"We have a specific procedure to get the medical report while investigating a rape and sexual assault case," the officer said.

Police had earlier confirmed the "sexual assault" based on the medical report submitted by the model, as per the extended definition of rape under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.

The woman had got herself examined in a suburban hospital after the alleged incident and submitted the report to police.

Atulchandra Kulkarni, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) had earlier said the victim's medical report stated about a few bite marks and bruises on her body that indicate that attempts were made to outrage her modesty.

"The finding (rape) in the medical report has strengthened our case, but there are still some loose ends that we are working on so as to make a watertight (case)," he had said.

Given the sensitivity of the case, police wants to corroborate the findings of her medical report with their own medical examination.

Meanwhile, police will also examine doctors of civic-run Cooper Hospital for not alerting them even after seeing bruise marks on the body of the model since the case falls under the medico-legal category.

On April 3, some of the accused had stopped the vehicle of the victim and took her to the police post, where one of the policemen, identified as assistant police inspector Sunil Khatpe (34) allegedly sexually assaulted her. The model said in her statement that the accused had snatched around Rs 4.35 lakh cash from her.

The accused were booked under IPC sections related to rape, criminal conspiracy and extortion, among others.

While Khatpe and Suresh Suryavanshi (36) are APIs, Yogesh Konde (36) is a constable, whereas others are accused of abetting the crime.