TISS gangrape: 3 remanded in police custody

The 23-year-old American student of Indian origin from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences...

The 23-year-old American student of Indian origin from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),who was allegedly gangraped by six college students on Saturday,has stated in her complaint to the Trombay police that she was forced to consume alcohol by one of the absconding accused. This led to her being inebriated and eventually raped,she has said. The victim lodged a complaint with the police on Tuesday evening.

The three arrested accused Dev Cyrus Colabawala (21),Anish Pradip Borkatki (21),Kundanraj Balinkumar Borgonain (22) were produced at the Kurla Metropolitan Magistrates Court on Thursday,where they were remanded to police custody till April 28. Borgonains lawyer Hemant Savlani claimed that those arrested were TISS students who met the victim during the course.

However,TISS Director S Parsuraman denied that the students were from the institute. The two absconding accused are Vinamra Soni (21) and Jaskaran Singh Bhullar alias Karan (21).

In her statement to the police,the victim has repeatedly singled out an absconding accused whom she refers to as Hersh. I feel that I was administered a drug or a stupefying substance in the beer that I was forced to drink by Hersh. And later taking advantage of the effect of the drug,I was raped, she has said in her statement and also alleged that on Sunday,after her medical checkup at Rajawadi Hospital confirmed that she was raped,doctors had referred her to the police,who failed to turn up even as she waited for them.

However,Senior Police Inspector N R Ambupe said the police visit rape victims in the hospital only if they are admitted for treatment. The victim was checked and was told that she could go home. In this case,she was expected to personally lodge a complaint with us, said Ambupe. The girl has said that owing to her mental condition and fear she could not go to the police till two days after the incident.