Russia ‘astonished’ over rape investigation process

Expressing its concern over the victimisation of its citizens in Goa,Russia on Wednesday said it is “astonished” at the way the state police is handling the investigation of the rape case of a Russian citizen. In a letter to Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat,the Consulate of Russian Federation in Mumbai said,”We would like to express astonishment over the process of investigation in the case of rape of a Russian citizen by Indian national John Fernandes.”

“Even many days after the incident,the accused was not subjected to medical examination…The vehicle used by John to commit the offence was also not examined. The clothes he was wearing on the day of offence were not preserved…During this time,all possibility to gather evidence was destroyed,” the letter signed by Consul General Alexander Mantytsky said.

The Consulate also noted that the victim was threatened that she would face the same fate as of Elena Sukhanova,another Russian who was found mysteriously dead on the railway tracks in the coastal state recently.

“Because of poor security situation in Goa,foreign tourists might become victims of crime. We would inform our citizens not to remain outside (the hotel) after 10 pm,if you suppose that it would assist in their security,” the letter said in an apparent reaction to yesterday’s remark by Congress MP Shantaram Naik that some rape victims invite trouble on themselves by socialising with “strangers” even during late hours.