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Allegedly Raped In Delhi Hotel, American Teacher Says She's Back For Justice

Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Dec, 2016 10:05 AM
    Accusing the Delhi Police for not taking his client's case seriously, the advocate of anb American gangrape victim said he and his client were not happy with the investigation.
     
    Advocate Mritunjay told IANS that they had been visiting the Connaught Place police station almost daily, but police didn't cooperate with them. 
     
    "We helped police whenever they approached us, but no appropriate action has been taken against the five accused persons.
     
    "They (the accused persons) are moving freely. Even we are not aware when the police will arrest them," he added.
     
    Meanwhile, the victim was not happy with the way Delhi Police was handling the case, he said.
     
    Terming rape a serious problem in India and that she will not travel alone here again, the woman said she felt that "there should be a stronger law for protecting tourists from rape in India".
     
     
    The 25-year-old had taken a packaged tour to see India in April. She has alleged that her tour guide laced her water bottle with sedatives and gang-raped her along with employees of the hotel.
     
    "I had come on a guided tour, and I was straightaway taken to the five star hotel in Connaught Place. I was drugged first two days and raped by two employees of the tour company and two of the hotel who I recognise by face," she told.
     
    "I have no memories of the incident. I do not remember writing a good feedback of the tour agency. I regained my memory three months later towards end of July and then decided to file an FIR. First reaction of the tour agency and hotel was that they were shocked. But they were not interested in finding out why it happened and who were responsible. They were only worried about their image," she said.
     
     
    The woman said it was because of the help and support of her family and friends that she registered a case. "I got in touch with an NGO, which alerted the American embassy, and forwarded my complaint letter to the Delhi police commissioner. But despite having written in by October, the FIR was delayed by a month and a half," she said.
     
    Delhi police said the name of the NGO - American Overseas Domestic Crisis Violence Centre - had them confused that it was a complaint of domestic violence and they forwarded the mail to the women's cell.  A case was registered in November after the women's cell sent it back to the police and thereafter the woman's statement was sought from the NGO. She was later asked to come to India to identify the accused.
     
    The police have questioned 11 men in the case so far, including the tour guide and the staff at the hotel. They however said arrests will only be made after the complainant identifies the accused.
     
     
    "It took months. It was very frustrating the process of filing the case, not confident with the way Delhi police was handling it. But I stuck on as I want justice for what happened to me, and I know there are other victims of these people," the woman said.
     
    Over 1,900 rape cases have been registered this year in Delhi alone.
     
    "I was very excited when I came to India. It was my lifelong dream. I still have love for India as a country. But this problem the country has with rape and violence is a serious issue," the woman said.
     
    The victim had named her tour guide and two hotel staffers among the five who gangraped her in a Connaught Place hotel she was staying at.
     
     
    She came here on Tuesday for recording her statement before police.

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