‘School girl wasn’t kidnapped’

tags:India

Mumbai: THE 15-year-old schoolgirl who was allegedly kidnapped and raped by gym instructor Kamlesh Ahire knew the accused and used to speak to and SMS him frequently, the police said on Monday.

Since June, the girl made over 27 calls to Ahire, said Additional Commissioner of Police (North West) Tukaram Chavan. ‘‘As of now, we have found that the girl was not kidnapped as mentioned by her in the first information report,’’ he added.

In the FIR lodged at the Charkop police station on Saturday, the girl said that she was abducted on Thursday by four or five men and raped by Ahire, who was later taken into custody.

According to the police, the Std IX student, a Charkop resident, met Ahire through a common acquaintance named Sagar. In May and June, she made over 50 calls to Sagar and they were frequently spotted together in the western suburbs, the police added.

Incidentally, last month, Ahire filed a non-cognisable complaint against the girl at the Charkop police station saying she was harassing him and making advances through phone calls. Following this, her father filed a counter-complaint accusing Ahire of harassing his daughter over the phone.

‘‘Rape is a serious offence. But at this juncture, the medical report has not revealed any assault,’’ said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Arup Patnaik. ‘‘But, in this case, even if the sexual intercourse was consensual, it still amounts to rape as the girl is a minor.’’

Deputy Commissioner of Police D Karade said that an internal medical examination of the girl did not reveal any injury.

Meanwhile, Ahire has furnished photographs to prove that he was participating in a body-building show that took place on Thursday evening. But the police are yet to verify his alibi.