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A Kerala woman’s complaint accusing a cab driver and his friend of gang-rape in Bengaluru has come under scrutiny after Banasawadi police reportedly found contradictions in her statements during the investigation.
The woman initially filed the complaint at the Madiwala police station, following which a Zero FIR was registered and transferred to the Banasawadi police.
According to a senior police officer, the incident was reported on December 2.
Police detained the suspect, cab driver Suresh, for questioning. He told investigators that he and the complainant had known each other for some time and had developed a friendship after she first booked his cab. He further claimed that their physical relationship was consensual and produced WhatsApp chat exchanges to support his version.
Upon re-examining the woman’s statement, the police said they found inconsistencies.
A preliminary inquiry revealed that the woman, a student at a private college, and Suresh are both from Kerala and had recently attended a party together, during which the woman sustained a minor neck injury.
Police now suspect that the woman may have fabricated the gang-rape allegation to hide her relationship with Suresh from her boyfriend and to explain the injury. Believing her account, the boyfriend accompanied her to the police station to file the complaint.
Despite the conflicting statements, police have registered a case of rape and are verifying whether the driver’s friend was present during the alleged incident. Further investigation is underway, officials said.