Spaniard rape case: ‘Victim left for Germany after identifying accused’

The 22-year-old Spanish musician who was allegedly raped and robbed at her Bandra (West) residence has returned to her parents in Germany. Police said the victim, who had been living in Mumbai for six months to study Indian classical music, took the flight shortly after she identified the accused Mohammed Badshah Ansari during a test identification parade at Arthur Road Jail last Thursday.

Officers said the traumatised victim did not want to spend even a day longer than necessary in Mumbai. She had expressed her desire to return to Germany where she had been staying with her parents and working as a music director. "The victim left for Germany through the Spanish embassy," said Pratap Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 9).

"We had asked for judicial custody of Ansari before police custody so that the identification parade could be conducted and the victim could leave the country as soon as possible," said an officer from Bandra police station.

Dighavkar said the FIR was based entirely on the victim's statement, which would serve as sufficient evidence against Ansari even in her absence.

According to the police, they felt there was no need to record the victim's statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. "We can produce the FIR in the court as her statement," said Dighavkar.

Officers who recorded the victim's statement said she had given the details of the crime precisely in the presence of Spanish embassy officials. "She recalled the entire trauma, and made sure that we had written everything in order. Her statement in English was drafted with all the details," said the officer.

The police are now awaiting the DNA test reports of Ansari and the victim to prepare a watertight case against the accused.

On November 5, Ansari allegedly entered two buildings in Bandra (W) where he was beaten up by watchmen. Later, he entered the victim's building and climbed up to her apartment on the third floor. The victim was staying with a roommate, a photographer, who had left for Kerala on assignment.

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