B'lore: Rape victim's pal approaches police chief for protection

The male friend of the postgraduate student who was allegedly raped inside a car near Cox Town in the City last week approached Bangalore Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar on Wednesday to seek protection following threat calls.

He said he has been receiving threat calls on his mobile phone from unidentified persons. He suspects them to be a few persons in the police department, who are close to suspended inspector Mohammad Rafique M. The Pulikeshinagar police inspector was suspended for delaying the registration of the rape victim’s complaint.

The commissioner directed the friend to approach ACP (Pulikeshinagar sub-division) Noorulla Sharieff and lodge a complaint, said the police.

When contacted, Sharieff told Deccan Herald that the man who approached the commissioner is yet to turn up and lodge a complaint. Nobody knows who is making the calls and what kind of threats the man is receiving, he added.

The ACP said he told the man over the phone that the police would be able to take up a probe only if a complaint is lodged and a case is registered. However, the man sought time to decide.

Meanwhile, the police moved the magistrate court seeking the custody of Nasir Hyder, the prime suspect in the case. The victim underwent a medical examination on Wednesday.
Uproar in Assembly

The Legislative Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes over the rape incident, with BJP members vociferously demanding the arrest of inspector Rafique for toning down the complaint of the victim, by not including rape and kidnap charges in the First Information Report (FIR). The MLAs wondered why the inspector had not registered the charges under IPC section 376 (rape) 364-A (kidnap) when the victim had gone to the police station to file the complaint.

The BJP members also demanded the resignation of Home Minister K J George for failing to maintain law and order in the State.  When George pointed out that the inspector had been suspended and rape and kidnap charges were filed in an additional FIR, the members said suspension was no punishment.

“There is prima facie evidence that the inspector was trying to protect the prime accused, Nasir Hyder. File an FIR against the inspector, arrest him, only then can you instill confidence among people,” Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said.

Senior Congress member Ramesh Kumar also supported the BJP’s demand.

George said he would issue a statement on the government’s response on Thursday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said all steps would be taken to ensure the safety of women.

Meanwhile, there were two separate protests by local residents in Frazer Town. A large group staged a demonstration in front of the police station, seeking reinstatement of the suspended inspector. They alleged that senior officers took such a decision to save their skin. Rafique was an honest officer, they claimed.

Later, a group of women staged a protest seeking removal of the names of Imtiyaz and Atique (two of the five accused) from the FIR. They alleged that the police had implicated them in the case.

The rape incident also found a mention in the high court during the hearing of a case pertaining to recreation clubs. Justice Ram Mohan Reddy lashed out at the police’s way of functioning and observed: “It appears like nobody, even a constable, listens to the commissioner.”