Meerut: The Meerut gang rape case took a U- turn after the 22-year-old woman denied earlier allegations of abduction, gang-rape and forcible conversion to Islam.
In her statement to police on Sunday, she declared that she ran away with a Muslim man named Kaleem, whom she earlier accused as the main perpetrator, out of her own free will.
She approached the police complaining of a threat from her family, and in a written statement, denied rape or conversion.
“I was staying with my parents, but I ran away from home because I feel a threat to my life from my parents and relatives,†she said in the statement. “I went with the boy belonging to a different community out of my own will.â€
The accused, Kaleem, and eight others were detained on August 3.
This comes as a big blow to BJP as several leaders of the party, including Yogi Adityanath, Sangh Parivar and affiliated groups took up the issue which put western Uttar Pradesh to the boil.
Hindutva activist’s and Right-wing Hindu groups termed it as an Islamist conspiracy claimed Muslim men lured Hindu girls, tricked them into marriage and forced them to convert to Islam.
Superintendent of Police (Meerut Rural) M.M. Beg said, “The girl ran away from her house and approached a women’s police station after which she was presented before the Magistrate, Satya Prakash Rai. She requested that she be allowed to stay in Naari Niketan (government facilities for women) after which the Magistrate sent her to the Meerut Naari Niketanâ€.