Rape charge: accused IPS officer calls it ‘publicity stunt’

Conduct of the complainant in not reporting these incidents for seven and half months casts doubt over the authenticity and genuineness of the complaints

August 05, 2014 11:29 pm | Updated April 22, 2016 02:23 am IST - MUMBAI:

Deputy Inspector General of Police Sunil Paraskar, in an affidavit filed before a Sessions court here on Tuesday, denied the allegations of sexual assault levelled against him by a Mumbai-based model. This comes a day after the victim’s former lawyer dubbed her complaint a publicity stunt to secure entry into a reality show.

On June 24, the 26-year-old Gladrags model had accused the officer of raping and molesting her between November 2013 and March 2014 when he was posted as the Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) with the Mumbai police.

“Such serious offences are not kept or left un-reported for months together. However, the conduct of the complainant, in not reporting these incidents earlier for seven-and-a-half months, casts doubt over the authenticity and genuineness of the complaints,” the affidavit read. “The entire episode was non-existent and the same has been created by the complainant for various reasons, one of them now being disclosed by her former advocate as a publicity stunt to get into a TV reality show.”

“Why did the victim agree to go with a man who had molested her a week ago alone to a bungalow? Why did she not try to flee when Mr. Paraskar offered her a drink and started to drink? After the alleged crime, why did the victim accompany the accused in his car? I can prove that the allegation of rape is false or at best if stretched it could possibly be consensual,” Rizwan Merchant, defence lawyer, argued while pleading for anticipatory bail for his client on Tuesday.

The lawyer alleged that more than the sexual assault, the victim was hurt and angry over a PITA case filed against her.

“While probing a complaint filed against an escort website by the complainant in November, 2103, for misusing her pictures, the investigating officer Manisha Nalawade wanted to study the Call Data Record (CDR) of the victim. But she was averse to the idea of sharing her CDR with the police. The victim even complained to Mr. Paraskar against the officer and wanted him to transfer Ms.Nalawade for not having acceded to the demand of the complainant. The investigating officer had found that some calls were made to the numbers belonging to the victim and her sister and this had angered the victim,” Mr. Merchant alleged.

“The victim through her lawyer had sent a legal notice to the accused on July 15th but nowhere in the notice has she mentioned the two incidents of alleged sexual assault,” Mr. Merchant said. The court has adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

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