Pune techie’s allegations: Police say not a case of rape

However, two days after the FIR was registered, police said that initial findings indicate the man was not a delivery executive, but a 25-year-old man she knew for about a year.

The probe had also revealed that there was no forced entry into the apartment and no substance was sprayed on her, as was claimed by her.

While the police released the 25-year-old man after giving him a notice, the complainant’s statement was recorded before a magistrate.

In her complaint, the 22-year-old woman had claimed that a man had identified himself as a delivery executive who had come on the pretext of delivering a courier of bank documents around 7.30 pm on July 2 when she was alone at home.

She had claimed that by asking her to get a pen, he had locked the door of her apartment from inside and had raped her after spraying a substance on her face which rendered her unconscious. When she had woken up after an hour, the suspect had fled, she had alleged.

She had alleged that the assailant had taken a selfie on her phone when she was unconscious and had left a threat message on it saying he will come back. She had approached the police station at 1.30 am on July 3.

However following a police probe that involved close to 500 personnel and officers, examination of 500 CCTV cameras and voluminous technical leads, several contradictory facts came to fore.

Probe revealed that the man was not a delivery executive, but a 25-year-old known to her for about a year after getting connected socially.

There was no forced entry into the apartment, the selfie was taken on her phone with both of their consent, no substance was sprayed on her, and the threat message on the selfie was later edited by the complainant herself.

Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told The Indian Express on Sunday, “Based on the various evidence that we have gathered including the mobile communications and also based on the sequence of events that has been ascertained, we have reached a conclusion that it is not a case of rape. Now, what action we will take against her, is something we are yet to reach a conclusion…”

During the day, speaking at a function organised for the inauguration of Anand Nagar Police Chowky, Amitesh Kumar said, “Around two days ago, a very serious complaint came to the police. Some people made attempts to create a narrative that Pune’s law and order was deteriorating and that women are not safe. But in less than 24 hours our probe showed that the complaint filed by the woman was completely false and misleading. And it was an attempt to hide information from the police. Attempts should not be made to create fake narratives based on such incidents. Pune is a safe city.”

In his earlier briefing about the case, Amitesh Kumar had said, “For this probe, volumes of CCTV footages, around 500, and voluminous technical data was examined. At least 200 personnel and officers of the crime branch and 300 officers and personnel from the zonal unit were part of the probe. It is worrying that the police were misled in this case. False complaints cast credibility issues on genuine complainants. It is a long term disservice to the criminal justice system.”