Dismissed Chandigarh SI Phogat acquitted of raping Mumbai-based model

Sub-inspector Naveen Phogat, accused of raping a 25-year-old Mumbai-based model in June 2018, was acquitted by a local court on Thursday after the complainant failed to identify him in court and the prosecution also could not prove the allegations.

Phogat was facing charges under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

He was dismissed on senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nilambari Jagdale’s orders in October 2018 after being booked for raping the woman at a hotel in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area. He was probing a fraud case registered by the model during his stint in the cyber crime unit when he was accused of the rape.

CHAIN OF EVENTS

The model had come to the city to lodge a complaint against a Dhanas man for fraudulently transferring ₹12 lakh from her bank account on the pretext of helping her enter the Punjabi film industry.

On June 12, 2018, the woman was accompanying Phogat for completing documentation when he offered to drop her at her hotel in the evening.

The woman had alleged that Phogat entered her room on the pretext of using the washroom. He then showed her various objectionable videos and pictures of her in his possession and threatened to circulate them on social media. He had then allegedly overpowered and raped her.

Phogat’s counsel advocate Rabindra Pandit argued that his client was falsely implicated.

He contended that Phogat was a member of the special investigation team (SIT), constituted to investigate a Bitcoin case. This SIT was headed by a DSP and also comprised other police officials. ”He had an unblemished service record, which has now been tarnished by three senior officials in connivance with each other just to save their skin, as actually they are the corrupt officers, who gave benefit to the accused persons by taking bribe,” Pandit claimed.

After hearing the arguments, the court acquitted Phogat of all charges.