KATHMANDU: Actor Paul Shah related rape case has taken a twist since the minor ‘victim’ changed her statement against the actor on Sunday.
The minor girl who had accused actor Shah of sexual misconduct and rape and filed a case in Tanahu and Nawalpur went hostile before the Tanahu District Court on Sunday.
Although she was ‘counseled’ before going to the court last Sunday to file a bail bond, she finally changed her statement. The minor, who testified before the police investigating officer that Paul had repeatedly raped her promising to marry said before the court that Paul did not rape.
She said in a statement that she was ill and did not know what to say to the police.
As soon as the statement of the minor was changed, the statement of her father and others who were supposed to speak for the girl also changed their statement.
Earlier, both the Tanahu District Court and Nawalpur District Court had refused to release actor Shah on bail claiming the release could impact the rape case.
However, the case is expected to weaken after the juvenile court changes its statement.
According to Ram Chandra Sharma, Chief District Attorney of the District Public Prosecutor’s Office, the victim’s father had filed a complaint in the Tanahu District Court.
According to District Attorney Sharma, the father of the minor has given a statement saying that he had filed the complaint at the instigation of others after hearing that his daughter had been raped. On Monday, singers Kamal Khatri, Sagar Lamichhane, Naresh Jogi and Arbin Pamo made a statement on behalf of the victim. Similarly, singer Durgesh Thapa also gave his statement before the court on Tuesday.
This time, after the minor and her family went hostile, the statements of others have also changed.
District Attorney Sharma informed that 8 people have sworn in to court and given their statement in the court and at least 10 others including doctors involved in the health examination of the minor girl are in the list to speak on the case.
The father of the minor had lodged a complaint against Paul at the District Police Office, Tanahun on February 23, alleging that actor Shah had been performing false acts of love, promising to marry and raping the girl quite often.
After receiving the complaint, Shah had surrendered before the Tanahu police on February 27. The district court in Tanahun had remanded Shah in custody for trial on March 24.
Paul is in Tanahun District Jail for trial after the district court refused to release him in bail.
However, after the ‘victim’ and her father’s hostile statement of Sunday and Tuesday, the case is expected to weaken.
The case is being heard in the Nawalpur District Court on Wednesday.
Acting Chief of Tanahun District Jail Narayan Adhikari informed that the Nawalpur court had written to the jail administration to produce Paul before the court.
What turned the minor singer hostile
The minor loves actor Shah very much.
According to sources, the minor became emotional when Paul went to jail for trial as she did not mean to send him to jail. The source claimed that she just wanted to get his love.
Not only the minor but also her family has changed his statement after getting a promising proposal from the actor’s family.
It seems actor Shah’s family and relatives convinced the minor singer and her family that both (Shah and the minor) would be ruined if the case was taken ahead; but, could go for a deal if the petitioners went hostile in the case, the source said.
According to the source, the family of the minor has been convinced that Paul will come out on bail after the case is weakened by changing the statement in the bank account and the minor will not fall into the trap of law.
As per the informal deals made between the two families, the minor would get married with actor Shah after she reached her age and actor Shah would support the family in case the minor’s family gets punishment for their hostile statements, the source claimed.
However, human right activists have taken the twist as reflection of general mentality of a patriarchal society. They are worried at the fact that this type of unlawful settlement of the case might encourage the sexual misconduct and harassments.
Comment