NEW DELHI: After almost three weeks after registering a case, Delhi Police arrested four accused facing allegation of gangraping a US national in April this year in a five-star hotel situated in Lutyens zone. The victim had earlier said that she is not happy with the probe Delhi police is conducting. The victim had reached Delhi on 20th December after Delhi police asked her to join probe. Accused, after questioning by Delhi police went to Nepal.
“On Monday evening Delhi police arrested four accused including guide, bus driver and helper which was used to ferry tourist to places. Also we have arrested a hotel staff where the incident had taken place,” Delhi Police spokesperson Dependra Pathak said.
“On Dec 3, Delhi police registered FIR regarding an incident of gangrape of a US national in hotel. We have arrested four accused in the case. complainant was kind, came down to Delhi, got her statement recorded before police & court, helped in collecting evidences,” Dependra Pathak said.
Meanwhile, The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued notice to Delhi Police demanding why the Rape Crisis Cell of the Commission was not informed when police recorded the statement of the US national. Citing orders of the High court in this regard, the Commission said it was deeply saddened to note that in this case the Delhi Police did not inform the Crisis Intervention Centre/ Rape Crisis Cell counsellor of the Commission when the victim’s statements were recorded by the police on December 20.
“This is a very serious matter and a gross violation of the directives of the Delhi High Court in the case wherein it was ordered that the duty officer, immediately, upon receipt of the complaint/ information of a rape case, intimate the same to the Rape Crisis Cell/Crisis Intervention Centre which shall respond to calls of sexual assault at the police station and provide counselling and other support services to victims of rape.“The same has been elucidated in standing order No. 303/2016 of Delhi Police,” the Commission said in its notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi.
On December 8, the tourist guide, accused of raping her along with his accomplices, was questioned by police after his arrival from Nepal.
Police had identified the man and contacted him while he was in Nepal. The tour guide had denied his involvement in the matter and told police that the victim had given positive comments about him in the feedback form while returning to her country and that the internal inquiry by the travel agency hadn't found him guilty. The woman had alleged that she was raped by a group of men for two days in hotel. They also threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to anybody. She had also stated that the accused had made a video of the act and had threatened to make it public if she reported the matter to anyone.