Family contradicts J&K woman's version of rape charge by army men

The rape controversy took a new turn when the husband and mother-in-law of the woman claimed before police that she suffered from mentally illness and was at her home home in South Kashmir on the day she claimed she was sexually abused.

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The statement of the family members of Ruqaya, 32, goes contrary to her claim that she was picked up by two men in uniform on July 19 and allegedly gang-raped for two days before being let off on July 21.

In her statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) yesterday, Amina Bi, mother-in-law of the alleged victim, said that her daughter-in-law went missing on the morning of July 20 and not evening of July 19.

"She (Ruqaya) had gone to a spring at 7am on Wednesday (July 20) and did not return till late in the evening. We sent people in different directions but could not find her. She returned home the next day," Amina told the SIT officials.

Amina said she asked her daughter-in-law about her overnight absence but she did not say anything. "She started beating her chest and I thought she is having some pain. We took her to Manzgam hospital where she told the doctor that she had been raped," the woman said.

Ruqaya had alleged that she was kidnapped by two men in uniform on the evening of July 19 and held hostage for two nights during which she was raped in a "Dhok" at Manzgam, 80km from Srinagar.

Ruqaya's husband Latief Ahmad also told the probe team that she was only missing for one night. The mother-son duo also told the SIT that Ruqaya was of unsound mind and was taking medicines for it.

The alleged victim was not able to give any answer to a question of the probe team as to why she had raised no alarm at the time of abduction even though her 'dhok' (mud house) was less than 50 metres away and her mother-in-law and husband were home at that time.

Asked if there was any movement of army or police around their area on the day the alleged rape took place, Amina said there was no such presence of uniformed men in the area.

"There was no one here...I would not make any false accusations," he said.

In response to a question by SIT officials, the elderly woman said she cannot say if her daughter-in-law had been raped. "Only she can answer that question," she added.

The allegations levelled by Ruqaya led to law and order problem in Manzgam area of Kulgam on Thursday and Friday, resulting in injuries to several persons. A government vehicle and private scooter were set on fire by the agitated protesters yesterday.

Army ordered an internal probe and state police had also registered a case against unknown people based on the complaint of the woman.

The medical examination of the woman has concluded that there were no marks of violence on her body including the private parts and there was a presence of dead sperms.

As a precautionary measure, the vaginal swabs of Ruqaya have been sent for further Forensic tests.