Sexual assault with American tourist: Rape not confirmed; auto driver arrested

Jaipur: Two days after a 26-year-old US tourist alleged sexual assault, the police arrested the auto driver and booked him under IPC sections pertaining to molestation. The police officials said that a medical examination of the victim had been performed. The report rules out rape, so the auto driver has been booked for molestation. Earlier, the police had lodged the FIR under sections pertaining to rape.

The auto driver was identified as Salim alias Keeda. He was arrested from Gangapur City where he had fled to after the FIR was registered and the police started searching for him.

The girl had arrived in the city a few days ago. On Tuesday morning, she met an auto driver who offered to take her to the city’s famous tourist destinations including monuments, palaces and forts.

According to the police, Salim allegedly sexually assaulted her while she was in an inebriated condition. When she woke up in her hotel room on Wednesday, she suspected that she had been raped, so she went to a private hospital. She requested doctors for a medical examination to check if she was sexually raped. The doctors told her that such tests can only be conducted following a police case.

The girl then registered a complaint with Sindhi Camp police station. The police lodged case under Section 376 (rape) of IPC on the basis of her statement. However, the senior officials said that cops at the police station couldn’t understand her accent and filed a case of rape which should have been registered under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC as she did not claim that she was raped.

The confusion over the selection of the IPC sections reign in for several hours, following which the senior officials stepped in directed that based on the initial investigation, the case is made out under Section 354.