Srinagar: The minor girl, who was at the centre of Handwara protests in April, has alleged that she was "pressurised" by the police into making the statement exonerating an Army man of molestation charges.
At a news conference on Monday, the girl said she was wrongly confined and forced to give a statement before a judicial magistrate that she was molested not by an army man, but by two local boys.
"I was presurrised by the police to record the false statement to save the Army people. In the police station, I was abused and ill-treated. One sir came and said he is the HOD and asked me what the matter was. I said whatever the police had taught me to say. He also asked me if I cared that so many people had been murdered because of me. Police would come, abuse me and go. They did not care that I was a young girl and that they should not insult me. They did not care about calling me names," she said.
The girl, who appeared in a veil, demanded registration of a case against the police and anyone else found responsible for recording and circulating her video statement. Her parents were also present at the press meet.
Handwara town and adjoining areas of Kupwara district of Kashmir were rocked by violence last month after allegations that the 16-year-old girl had been molested by an army man.
In a video-recorded "statement" released by police later, the girl had said no soldier was involved in any molestation and had blamed locals for misbehaving with her.
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