Immediately after the High Court directions to record the statement of the Handwara girl before the competent authority, she, along with her father, recorded her statement before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Handwara, on late Saturday evening.
According to a police spokesman, the girl revealed before the Judicial Magistrate that on April 12 after school hours while proceeding to her home with her friend she entered a public lavatory near main chowk (square) Handwara for answering the call of nature.
“As soon as she came out of lavatory she was confronted, assaulted and dragged by two boys and her bag was snatched. One of the boys was in school uniform,” she reportedly told the Judicial Magistrate.
Interestingly, the police statement quoting the girl mentions no reference to any molestation bid as was earlier alleged by the locals and a huge number of protesters.
On Saturday, the girl’s mother alleged that the video statement, apparently shot inside a police station, was “made under duress”. However, the girl on Wednesday, in the video statement, exonerated the security personnel of resorting to any misbehaviour or an attempt to molest her. In fact, she repeatedly accused local boys of planning this scene. On Saturday evening, the 16-year-old girl only repeated the statement made in the video earlier.
The Hindu has not been able to access the full text of the girl’s statement yet.
Five people were killed and more than 200 security personnel injured as the incident sparked a cycle of violence. For five days, Kashmir valley witnessed a shutdown, clashes and curfew-like restrictions in large parts of the city and north Kashmir.
