Victim seeks CBI probe, says police 'colluded' with scribe

New Delhi: Seeking transfer of probe into the case filed by her against rape accused and Bombay-based news anchor Varun Hiremath from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the victim in the case has moved a petition before the Delhi High court calling the police's investigation into the case as prima facie "tainted" with a "lackadaisical approach".

In the plea moved before Justice Mukta Gupta, the complainant woman, through Advocate Jai Dehadrai, has alleged that despite the victim lodging a complaint at Chanakyapuri Police Station on February 23 and informing the police personnel that Hiremath had travelled back to Mumbai the previous day, "no immediate and prompt steps were taken by the concerned police officials to apprehend the accused, who hails from an extremely wealthy, powerful and influential background".

The plea further alleged that the police officials in the case have "colluded" with the accused and his family and that the Delhi Police's "deliberate omission" in carrying out the investigation in the manner which ought to be conducted, "is shielding the accused, from being discovered and apprehended".

She also alleged that despite her recognising and identifying Hiremath's father, who was previously reported to be untraceable like the accused, to be sitting inside the Patiala House courtroom where Hiremath's anticipatory bail plea was being argued, Sub-Inspector Avinash did not take any action whatsoever to inquire about the whereabouts of his son from him and in fact silenced her by saying that he could do nothing since the plea was yet to be argued.

"...the conduct of the Police Officials suggests that there is no possibility of free and fair investigation to be carried, if the investigation were to continue to remain with them," the plea claimed, adding that by not questioning/apprehending the father of the accused, "it is abundantly clear and cogent that there is no possibility of a fair investigation".

"Police officers prima facie appears tainted and the indifferent and lackadaisical approach of the concerned Officers is bound to further adversely impact the investigation which forms the foundation of the trial," the petition read.

On these grounds, the petitioner sought appropriate directions from the court to call a status report pertaining to the investigation carried out in her case, while seeking a transfer of probe from the state police to the CBI.

Meanwhile, Friday's hearing in the case was made into an in-camera proceeding after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, on behalf of Hiremath, sought the same. Following this, the court agreed to the request.

Part arguments were made by the victim's lawyer and interim protection given to Hiremath has been extended till Monday when the matter will be taken up next.

A Delhi court had on March 12 denied anticipatory bail to Hiremath following which he approached the High Court seeking the same. The High Court granted him an interim protection subject to him joining the investigation.

The woman in her complaint had alleged that on February 20, she was raped by Hiremath at a five-star hotel in Chanakyapuri while Hiremath claimed that the same was consensual.