Uttarakhand: 2 held in Champawat for allegedly fabricating gangrape case involving minor

Two people, including the alleged mastermind behind a purported conspiracy to fabricate a gangrape case involving a minor girl in Uttarakhands Champawat district, were arrested on Friday, police said. According to investigators, Kamal Rawat allegedly wanted revenge over an earlier dispute with the men named in the gangrape complaint and used the minor girl in the conspiracy by luring her with promises of treatment for her ailing father.

Two people, including the alleged mastermind behind a purported conspiracy to fabricate a gangrape case involving a minor girl in Uttarakhand's Champawat district, were arrested on Friday, police said. Police identified the alleged mastermind as Kamal Rawat, a resident of Salli village, who was arrested along with Arjita Rai of Kanalgaon. Another accused, Anand Singh Mehra, has also been booked in the case. According to police, the three accused have been charged under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly confining the minor girl, posting her video on social media, and attempting to falsely implicate innocent people as part of a planned conspiracy. Police said the accused were produced before a court and later remanded to judicial custody. The case came to light on May 6 after a man lodged a complaint that his 16-year-old daughter had been raped by three men in Salli village on the night of May 5. Based on the complaint, a case under the POCSO Act was registered against three men -- Puran Singh Rawat, Naveen Singh Rawat, and Vinod Rawat -- and an investigation was initiated. Given the sensitivity of the matter, Champawat Superintendent of Police (SP) Rekha Yadav constituted a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the circle officer. The girl underwent a medical examination, and her statement was also recorded. During the probe, however, the SIT found contradictions in the statements of the girl and other people involved. Police said evidence also showed that Kamal Rawat, the girl, and Arjita Rai had been in constant contact on the day of the alleged incident, raising suspicion about the complaint. The investigation further found that the three named in the gangrape complaint were not present at or near the alleged crime scene. The medical report also found no external or internal injury marks on the girl's body. Police said the girl later told the court that no such incident had taken place and described the entire episode as fabricated and part of a conspiracy. According to investigators, Kamal Rawat allegedly wanted revenge over an earlier dispute with the men named in the gangrape complaint and used the minor girl in the conspiracy by luring her with promises of treatment for her ailing father. Police said Kamal Rawat has previously been involved in multiple criminal cases, including assault, abuse, sexual harassment, kidnapping, criminal intimidation, and offences under the Information Technology Act.