A Russian girl, allegedly raped by Goa politician John Fernandes here, today 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 said 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.
