The Delhi Police on Monday arrested four accused people in connection with the alleged gang-rape of an American tourist at a five star hotel in Connaught Place area in April this year.
Police said the accused have been identified as Anirudh, a tour guide, Om Prakash, driver, Maqsood Khan, helper and Vivek, a staffer of the alleged five-star hotel.
Dependra Pathak, Joint Commissioner of Police (South Western Range) and the spokesperson of the Delhi Police said, “Four people have been arrested. On December 3, the Delhi Police registered an FIR regarding this incident of gangrape of a US national in a hotel. The complainant was kind. She came down to Delhi, got her statement recorded before police and court and helped in collecting the evidences. All the four accused will be produced in the Patiala House Courts on Tuesday.”
On December 19, the US national came to Delhi to join the investigation. She underwent medical examination and recorded her statement before the Judicial Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC where she reiterated the charges she had made in her complaint.
“We are going to interrogate the accused persons at length. Further police remand of the four accused will be taken for interrogation,” a police officials of the New Delhi district said.
It may be noted that on December 8, the tourist guide, accused of raping the woman, along with his accomplices, was questioned by the Delhi Police after he returned from a Nepal. Police have identified the man and had contacted him while he was in Nepal. A senior police officer said the tour guide had denied his “involvement” in the matter and told local police that the victim had given him a “positive feedback” in the forms.
As per the complaint filed by the US national, she was drugged, physically and sexually assaulted by the accused over a period of two days in April this year.
Moreover, the complainant had alleged that she was threatened by the accused of dire consequences if she reported the matter to anybody.
Police said the complainant filed a complaint to the Delhi Police on mail on October 5 with the help of a US based NGO.
Police said the woman in her complaint had alleged that the accused had made a video of the act and had threatened to make it public if she reported the matter to anyone.
Police said they have consulted a team of psychologists and psychiatrists from the RMl hospital
“We have taken the help of psychologists and psychiatrists in investigation so that they can help us tie the loose ends,” said a senior police officer.
“The team has also spoken to the girl to help her recall the details of the incident coherently, added the official.
Earlier, a police officer, privy to the investigation said in order to make it a water tight case, police is trying to seek professional help from psychologists and psychiatrists and are also probing if the complainant was hallucinating,”
Before coming to India, the complainant has expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation being carried out by the Delhi Police, as no arrests were made earlier.