The case of alleged mass rape by seven Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans in Shravasti took a curious turn on Wednesday, with three of the minor “victims” denying that they had been raped. The fourth girl, who is 22 years old, maintained that she was raped, but only one jawan was involved. But medical tests haven’t corroborated the allegation, said Additional Superintendent of Police Lallan Rai, the officiating SP. “The minors,” he said, “issued a denial when they were taken for the medical examination”.The ASP said none of the medical tests have indicated rape or even attempt to rape. But since the girl was insisting, the police will proceed with the prosecution. Deputy Inspector General of Devipatan Range RK Rai said the police will record the statements of the girls before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. All four girls belong to a joint family from Fatehpur Bangai village, near Jamunaha SSB post. The complaint was lodged by Hamid Ali, the father of the eldest. He alleged that the SSB jawans had forced entry into his house in the wee hours of Tuesday, held the other family members at gunpoint, and raped the girls. The police had doubts about the complaint as it found no evidence of forced entry into the house or of physical resistance. Ali, however, insisted that his complaint was genuine. He said only the police could explain the absence of evidence or why three of the girls had backtracked. The youngest girl is hearing and speech impaired.Police sources suspect Ali, an artisan belonging to the economically-backward section, has been used by influential people to discredit the SSB so they could carry on their illegal trans-border activities with impunity. The officers, however, refuse to go on record till investigations are complete.Deputy Inspector General, SSB, Som said: “Our primary inquiry did not yield any evidence. We know our boys are innocent, but police investigation will make the case crystal clear.” Inspector General of SSB (Lucknow Frontier) Satyavrat said action will be taken against the personnel if found guilty. He has also ordered a separate inquiry by a senior official.
