A day after a 25-year-old Kenyan woman claimed that she had been attacked while returning home in a cab, the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday took to Twitter to highlight loopholes in her story.
According to an African students’ group, the woman fabricated the attack because she was depressed. The group has tendered an apology.
The police caught something amiss while questioning the cab driver on Wednesday. They then worked on pulling together electronic evidence and eyewitnesses.
Finally, on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmad tweeted, “Alleged attack on Kenyan lady in Gnoida. Glaring loopholes in her story. Working to ascertain motive.”
The woman had told the police that four to five men pulled her out of a cab and thrashed her when she was on her way to Alstonia residential society in Greater Noida’s Omicron sector.
Gautam Budh Nagar SSP Dharmendra Yadav said the driver had been interrogated. “The driver said that he had dropped the woman safely at Omicron,” said Mr. Yadav.
‘We have GPS details’
“We have details about the cab’s GPS movement and the payment slip. These show the cab didn’t stop during the journey,” he added.
Maria had booked a cab at 5.47 a.m. on Wednesday from the Delhi Police society. “As per GPS movement, the journey was completed at 6.20 a.m. and payment was issued at 6.30 a.m. The woman, however, said that she was attacked during the journey and that the cab driver fled,” said Greater Noida SP Sujata Singh. The police added that a PCR vehicle was deployed near the spot where the woman claimed she was attacked.
‘Woman was depressed’
The cab driver, Pintu, seconded the police’s version. “I dropped her at Omicron. The cab did not stop during the journey. After dropping her, I waited there for 20 minutes because I was looking for another booking. I didn’t see any attack,” said Pintu.
Representatives from the Nigerian Students’ Welfare Association apologised soon after. “We investigated the matter and found that the woman was depressed due to personal reasons,” said Charles Kennedy, the vice-president of the Nigerian Citizen Welfare Association.
The police, meanwhile, said no action would be taken against the woman in an attempt to defuse tension between the African nationals and locals. Frederick, a representative from the Kenyan High Commission, said the Embassy was satisfied with the probe.
The police, meanwhile, have arrested one Jatan Bhati, a member of the Active Citizen’s team, for instigating people during a protest on Monday, taking the total number of arrests to six.
