A local crime branch that falls under Vadodara police is currently investigating a rape case that allegedly occurred on the night of 26th April. The woman was raped inside an SUV, whose owner has been identified as Bhavesh Patel, a former Padra Municipality Councillor and former Director of Agricultural Produce Market Corporation (APMC).
However, the Road Transport Office (RTO) of Vadodara was shocked after the Local Crime Branch asked for a bizarre report to ascertain whether or not the SUV had “enough space” for rape, reports News18.
The LCB asked RTO to issue a certificate to find out if the SUV had enough leg space for an act of rape to take place inside after the front seat was “pushed back”. They also asked if the car’s central locking system was sturdy or not and conducted a “height test” on the victim.
“We have specifically asked the RTO about the central locking system because we are anticipating that the defence will raise questions about why the victim did not open the door and escape when the vehicle was stationary,” the LCB said.
The RTO, on the other hand, said that this was the first time they received such a request.
“This is definitely the first time that the police have asked for a technical certificate for the central locking system and the leg space that can be created by pushing back the seats — these are usually not required in other criminal cases. The RTO can only give the mathematical report. The department definitely cannot opine on whether the crime has occurred in that much space or not. It is for the police to prove.”
According to The Indian Express, the accused and the victim knew each other through a common friend. She was attending a party at a farmhouse on April 26. a police patrol team had reached the spot and the woman fled, taking cover in a nearby field. She then called up her friend, requesting to be picked up from there. The friend had allegedly sent the accused, Bhavesh Patel.
Patel allegedly arrived past midnight, took the woman to a secluded location and raped her.
What do you think of the LCB’s requirements? Tell us.