Handwara molestation case: Was abused by cops, pressurised to change statement, says victim

Srinagar:  A 16-year-old teenager, whose alleged molestation triggered a massive protest in Handwara and to other parts of Kashmir in April, claimed on Monday that she was forced by the local police to record a statement in their custody.

Alleging exploitation by the police, the girl claimed that "they forced me to say things that they recorded and put up on the internet."

The girl made these revelations in a press conference today.

''Police told me not give my original statement, they said that will be safe for my family, '' the 16-year-old girl alleged.

The girl further alleged that she was kept against her will in the police station.

"They made me sign on blank papers. I can't write in Urdu. They made me write in Urdu and took our signature," she said, flanked by her parents.

The girl was under protective custody for 27 days and was released only after court intervention.

Her parents said she was pressurised to change her original version.

The teen complained that she was isolated by her classmates, who accused her of "suppressing reality."

Five people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces after the girl, who stays in Handwara, alleged that she had been molested by a soldier.  

Later, in a controversial video shot inside the police station, the girl was shown saying that she had been harassed by local boys on her way home from school.