On Thursday, Police said that a 16-year-old had wrongly accused her 21-year-old neighbour of raping her in Bhopal and added that another person who had sex with the girl has been arrested on charges of rape. The Police are also looking to file a case against the girl for wrongly identifying an innocent person of rape.

The neighbour was found innocent during the police investigation. Another accused who was arrested on Wednesday later tested positive for COVID-19, said Police. He was produced before the court through video conferencing & later hospitalised, said Police.

Family members of the girl had filed a missing report with the police on Aug 4. She returned 3 days later, on Aug 7, on her own, said the Police.

Nagendra Pateriya, City superintendent of police (CSP) said that “When a police team recorded her statement, the girl said she had been drugged & kidnapped by two persons, including her neighbour, who raped her for two days. Later, they let her go. On the basis of her statement, her medical examination was conducted & her neighbour was questioned intensely".

Pateriya added, “Shahjahanabad police found several discrepancies in the statement of the girl & upon investigation it was found that the man who was accused by the girl for kidnapping & raping her was in fact present in his office at the time when the crime took place as was alleged by the girl. This man had CCTV footage too to corroborate his statement".

The Girl was counselled & was asked to give a statement again.

The Cop said that “The girl then said she had told a lie as she was scared. She said her brother had spotted her talking to another youth a few days back & thrashed both of them. That’s why when police asked her about the name of the accused who had kidnapped & raped her she took the name of her neighbour. She thought if she named her neighbour her family members would believe her statement as there had been a feud between the neighbour & her family".

Since the girl is a minor, the officer said, the youth arrested has been booked under rape charge. The girl’s medical report confirmed that the girl had sex.

Police are looking into the matter to decide if the girl should be booked for accusing an innocent person for her rape, said the officer.

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