Twist in Pune techie 'rape' case: Complaint was false and misleading, say police

Pune: The rape complaint lodged by a 22-year-old IT professional in Pune, who alleged that a 'delivery agent' had entered her flat and sprayed some chemical rendering her unconscious before committing the 'crime', was false and misleading, a top police officer said on Sunday.

She had also claimed that the man clicked a selfie using her phone and typed a message threatening to circulate her photos if she disclosed the "incident".

The case took a dramatic turn after the investigation revealed that the 'delivery agent' was the friend of the woman who visited the flat with her consent. Police ruled out forced entry and the use of spray.

"The evidence, including phone chats, the sequence of events, mobile communication, and the conduct of the woman point out that it is not a case of rape. The complaint filed by her was entirely false and misleading," Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters.

Police are yet to decide the potential action against the woman, Kumar added.

The motive of the woman is being investigated, police said.

The woman had earlier told the investigators that her unstable mental condition prompted her to make the false claim of rape.

Addressing a function after inaugurating a police beat, Kumar lamented the circulation of "narratives" portraying Pune as an unsafe city for women.

Within 24 hours, police established that the case was entirely false and misleading, he added.

"A complaint of a serious crime was registered two days back which spawned narratives about the law and order situation in Pune and questioned the safety of women," he said.

Kumar reiterated that Pune remains a safe city for women and urged people not to spread false information.

"Pune Police are committed to maintaining law and order, and we will continue to strengthen the safety with the support of citizens," he added.

The woman had claimed that an unidentified man who posed as a courier delivery agent entered her flat in the Kondhwa area on Wednesday evening when she was alone, and forced himself on her. She passed out, and when she regained consciousness, he was gone, she had stated in her complaint.

The woman told the police that the "accused", before leaving, clicked a selfie using her phone in which her back and a part of his face are seen, and left a message warning that he had taken her pictures and would release them on social media if she reported the incident.

The investigation, however, revealed that neither was there any sign of forced entry nor any spray that could be used on the victim, the police commissioner had said.

Moreover, the selfie in question was taken with the consent of both, and it was the victim who edited the photo and typed a threatening message on her phone after he left her place around 8.30 pm on Wednesday, the officer said.

Police obtained a clear image of the accused from CCTV cameras installed on the society premises. However, when the picture was shown to the woman, she refused to identify him.

"Despite this, our teams continued working from various angles to trace the suspect, as no one other than this individual had accessed the particular floor where the woman lives. We also showed the photo to residents of the housing society, but none of them recognised him," Kumar had said.

Police detained the man after tracking the movement of his motorcycle across localities and analysing volumes of footage sourced from five to six CCTV cameras.

During questioning, he told police that he had visited the woman's house on Wednesday night with her consent.

"She was aware that he was coming over, and he was not posing as a courier delivery agent. There was no forced entry, and no spray was used. He was known to the victim," the top police officer had said.

Police served a notice to the man and allowed him to go on Friday evening.