Mumbai, June 19: Oshiwara police are tight-lipped about the place where the domestic help, who has alleged that she had been raped by Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, has been put up in.
As the case involves a celebrity, the cops want to make sure that no one influences the complainant and make her turn hostile. Also, there is the chance that the ‘victim’ might disappear, as it had happened in a 2006 rape case involving a well-known mill owner.
The complainant’s home at Roha in Raigad district has been put under lock and key, with her parents told to live somewhere else. The maid has been asked not to stay at her relative’s place in Virar, as its address has been given in the remand copy submitted in court.
The police feel that they have a strong case against the accused as medical reports have corroborated with the statement of the maid. Also, the complaint has been lodged within a few hours of the alleged incident. So, to ensure justice, the cops are trying to ensure that the maid is not compromised.
“We are taking care that the victim is completely safe,” said deputy commissioner of police Niket Kaushik. “She also has her relatives by her side.” He added that several NGOs had approached the police, offering to support and counsel the maid. “We have directed them to the victim and her relatives.”
Needed stricter rape laws: The National Commission for Women (NCW) wants the rape laws to be more stringent. NCW chairperson Girija Vyas, also a Lok Sabha member now, said she plans to push for the amendment in rape laws more vigorously in the coming Parliament session.
The NCW has proposed to increase the punishment for rape from seven to 10 years, besides advocating for suitable and timely compensation and rehabilitation of rape victims.
A three-member NCW team, headed by Vyas, will come to the city to meet the domestic help who has allege rape by actor Shiney Ahuja. “This is a high profile case. The victim is in shock. We will see what kind of protection has been provided to her and the rehabilitation measures taken,” Vyas said.
–Agencies