Pune: The sexual assault case involving a student from a prominent college has escalated with new allegations from the victim's lawyer, who claims that the young woman was a victim of gang rape.
The lawyer also accused the police of initially refusing to record the statements of both the victim and her parents. Frustrated with the inaction, the parents had planned a press conference to publicly share their side of the story.
However, once the police learned of the scheduled event, they expressed readiness to record the statements, leading the family to cancel the press conference.
The college has come under fire for allegedly failing to take appropriate action after the initial incident of sexual assault, which reportedly occurred on September 6.
The lawyer, Nivrutti Chapke, stated that a video of the assault had gone viral on social media, and yet the college administration did not respond with the seriousness required.
Despite a police complaint being filed, the family’s concerns were not being addressed, and they were made to wait overnight at the police station without any resolution, further frustrating the situation.
The lawyer added that the victim had faced another instance of sexual harassment due to the college's failure to act decisively after the initial incident.
This led to mounting protests from student groups and political parties outside the college in support of the victim and demanding accountability.
Suspicion also surrounds the involvement of influential individuals in the case, as Chapke suggested that the children of high-ranking officials might be connected to the crime. This, he noted, could explain the delays in the investigation.
Chapke also raised the question of why the police were initially reluctant to record the statements but promptly agreed after the press conference was announced.
