Panaji: A Russian girl, allegedly raped by
Goa politician John Fernandes here, 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 25-year-old Russian girl told agency 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, 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 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 is 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 is 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.
The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch for
further investigation.
The representative of Russian consulate, however, has
expressed his bitterness over such an enquiry tattered with
procedural lapses.
"A uniform carries with it a huge amount of
responsibility, power and respect. When that uniform is abused
to the advantage of a criminal, the citizen becomes absolutely
helpless.
"Men who abuse the uniform and erode the credibility of
the police force should not be protected by the same force,
but dealt with a firm hand under the provisions of law made
for this specific purpose," Vikram Varma, lawyer for Russian
Consulate in Goa, said.
Meanwhile, the victim has lost her job in a five-star
hotel where she was working as a Russian representative. "I am
looking out for a new job now."
The victim has been provided police security after she
was attempted to be roughed up by supporters of the accused
outside the district court in Margao.
John, a south Goa-based politician, is absconding at
present and his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the
Supreme Court yesterday.
PTI
