Russian girl says her statement on police officer not recorded

A Russian girl, allegedly raped by Goa politician John Fernandes, on Tuesday claimed her statement was never recorded in the inquiry against a police inspector accused of trying to botch up the case.

“I don’t know about the enquiry. My statement was never recorded by any enquiry officer. No one even contacted me,” the girl told PTI over phone.

The inquiry, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar, has reportedly given a clean chit to Colva police station in-charge Siddhanth Shirodkar by pointing out that the inspector never faulted in his duty.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gaonkar said: “We have based the entire enquiry on the written statement submitted by the victim.

Where is the question of quizzing her again?”

The girl had alleged that Mr. Shirodkar had asked her to water down her complaint from ‘rape’ to ‘attempt to rape’

The police inspector had allegedly cautioned the victim that the accused, John Fernandes, was an “influential person and can get her visa cancelled.”

“They were pressurising me to tell (write the complaint) that John just pushed me and gave bad words...He (Shirodkar) told me that John was a powerful person,” the girl claimed.

The victim, whose drink was spiked allegedly by John and later raped in a car at Colva beach, had written to Consul General of Russia in Mumbai, describing the ordeal which she went through at the police station.

The rape happened on the night of December 1 and a complaint was lodged the next day.