The much publicised "love Jehad" campaign following a report filed by a 22-year-old girl in Meerut, finally falls flat after the victim denied her earlier statement and alleged that there was a threat to her life from her parents.
The local police during investigation denied the charges made by the girl but after some political parties raised the issue, heads started rolling and some local officials were suspended by the Government. Not only this, local police also filed a chargesheet in the case.
However, while father still maintained the charges and claimed that his daughter was forced to change her statement, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging that the Government is trying to shield the criminals.
The victim also maintained her allegations during her statement recorded before the Magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC were not true and that she went with the man on her own will. The same ‘victim’ turned up before the cops at the Mahila police station and denying her earlier allegations, she claimed to have gone on her own.
The girl told the police that she had run away from her house as there was “threat to her life" and alleged that she was also "beaten up".
"She arrived at the mahila police station on Sunday morning and said that she had gone on her own free will with the boy. But the case had already been chargesheeted and pending before the court. She told the woman police officer that she has life threat from her own parents as well as also from relatives. On this ground, we have brought the woman to the executive magistrate and he has recorded the statement of the woman. She has been sent to the Nari Niketan for safety and protection," said Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police Onkar Singh
He said that out of the half a dozen accused in the case lodged by the girl’s father on August 3 last, five were arrested and a chargesheet was also submitted in the court on September 26 last. Now they would apprise the court of the development so necessary proceedings could be made.
However, the father of the girl disputed his daughter’s claim and said she retracted the earlier statement under duress. The BJP also accused the Samajwadi Party Government of “directing” the police to protect the criminals and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.
“It is now exposed that Meerut police on the directions of the State Government has come out in protecting criminals,” said laxmikant Bajpai, State BJP president. “The BJP has not made any textbook case.” He said that the girl had given a statement under Section 164 in which she has said that she was giving the statement without being under any pressure.
“And retracting from the statement given before the Magistrate, for that whatever crime or offence it comes under, action should be taken according to that. This case has been spoiled by the police on the orders of State Government. The case should be investigated by CBI or some outside agency," he said.
The matter of alleged gangrape and conversion in August was latched upon by the BJP whose leaders, including Yogi Adityanath, state in-charge of by-elections, exploited the issue, especially in western parts of the State. The alleged perpetrator Kaleem and others were arrested after the girl had alleged on August 3 that she had been abducted, gangraped and forcibly converted to Islam.