New Delhi [India]: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday denied the media reports claiming the agency didn’t find any evidence in 21 cases of rape and attempt to rape received by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). CBI in a statement mentioned that it has been reported in a section of media on Monday and Tuesday that 21 instances of Sexual Assault forwarded by NHRC, were closed by CBI alleging that no evidence of Rape, Attempt to Rape, Molestation, Sexual Assault was found in those complaints. News has been published saying it to be based on source input and Second Status Report dated 22 December 2021 submitted by CBI in the Calcutta High Court on Post Poll Violence Cases. It may be stated that Calcutta High Court had ordered CBI on 19 August 2021 to investigate the incidents involving offences of murder, rape and attempt to rape. As such, CBI has registered the cases meeting only these criteria which are under progress. It is clarified that CBI had received 29 complaints of sexual assault from NHRC related to sexual offences till 22 December 2021. Out of these, two cases have been decided by CBI for handing over to State SIT on the grounds of nature of offences, in line with the mandate given in the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Further, two complaints relating to the same incident of sexual assault were received by CBI which were amalgamated, resulting in the registration of only one regular case for investigation. The remaining cases are in progress. It may also be mentioned that State Police had referred 64 incidents to CBI in furtherance of the High Court order. Out of it, 39 offences were taken over by CBI by registering regular cases, four references are under process while 21 references were returned to State Police/SIT on the ground of nature of the offence, as CBI has been mandated in the order of the Calcutta High Court to investigate post-poll violence cases of Murder, Rape and attempt to Rape. As such, the reports, published in a section of media alleging that CBI has found no evidence in 21 cases listed as the offence of Sexual Assault by NHRC, contain a misrepresentation of facts, are blatantly mischievous, grossly misleading and entirely false. Accordingly, the same is strongly denied. It may be mentioned that at the time of submission of the Status Report, CBI had registered 50 Regular Cases and one Preliminary Enquiry into the incidents of Post Poll Violence. By the time of submission of the Status Report, CBI had submitted Charge Sheet in 10 cases while the remaining cases are under progress.
