Businessman gets seven-year term for raping personal assistant A lower court on Thursday sentenced a Chandigarh-based businessman to seven years in jail for raping his personal assistant (PA). A fine of Rs 50,000,which will go to the victim as compensation,was also imposed. In January this year,the accused,Anurag Aggarwal,took the girl to Shimla on the pretext of a business trip and allegedly raped her in a hotel room. Giving a dressing-down to the Chandigarh Police,the lower court termed the polices manner of handling the rape case as pitiable and in complete violation of the norms. Directing the police to comply with the norms,which empower a rape victim to record her statement at a place of her choosing,the court came down on the police for recording the victims statement at an open public place. The police had recorded the victims statements,immediately on her return from Shimla,in the Brijwada market in the presence of several officials. This discrepancy came to light when the defence counsel,taking the plea that the victim wanted to blackmail the accused,raised questions on why the victim had not disclosed to the police that she was raped in her first statement. To avoid ignominy,the victim was justified in not disclosing this fact as she is a young,unmarried girl. The statement was recorded neither at her residence nor at any safe place but in a thoroughfare market such as Brijwada in the presence of several male police officers. This is a pitiable state of affairs and in complete violation of the norms, stated Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri in his order. The victims statement should be treated as a matter of serious concern and recording her statement in the open market in presence of male police officers is adding insult to injury. The next day her statement was recorded by the Judicial Magistrate wherein,she stated this fact without any fear. It cannot be said that it was an afterthought, ruled the court. A copy of the judgment has also been sent to the UT SSP so that the investigating officers are made aware of the amended provision. The court added that the victim had no enmity with the accused and it was only her second day at work in office. It is not believable that she will falsely implicate the accused by putting her career at stake, said the court while announcing the verdict. What is the amended Section 157 of CrPCIn an offence of rape,the recording of statement of the victim shall be conducted at the residence of the victim or in a place of her choice and as far as practicable by a woman police officer in the presence of her parents or guardian or near relatives or social worker of the locality.
