india

Updated: Dec 03, 2014 22:00 IST

A fresh probe has concluded that a 16-year-old Jaipur girl’s claim of fending off four kidnappers– an act which won her the national bravery award for 2013 – was concocted, police said on Wednesday.

Assistant commissioner of police Premdan said the reinvestigation “found the earlier investigation report to be true as none of the evidence corroborates the girl’s claims of a kidnapping bid”.



The reinvestigation report assumes significance in view of the growing debate over two Rohtak sisters, hailed as bravehearts for fending off three alleged molesters in a Haryana bus.



Like in the case of Jaipur girl Malaika Tak, there are now doubts over the Rohtak sisters’ claims with witnesses emerging to challenge their version.



Malaika, a class XI student, was honoured with the prestigious Geeta Chopra Award on Republic Day this year for fighting and foiling an attempt by four persons to kidnap her in February, 2013.



After the initial probe too police had debunked the girl’s claims which had prompted the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) to seek reinvestigation into the matter.



The council, which had taken cognisance of an HT report, had also asked the Jaipur district collector to file a report in this regard.



ICCW president Geeta Siddhartha had earlier told HT that Malaika was given the “benefit of doubt” pending re-investigation but added that action would be taken after getting the fresh report.



However, no one from the ICCW was available for comments on Wednesday.



Police sources said the fresh probe report is likely to be handed over to the ICCW “very soon”.



In a report submitted to a local court in Jaipur in December last year, the police had said that the incident “did not occur” and the case as “false”.



The police relied on CCTV footage from a computer shop located near the spot where the alleged incident took place on February 15, 2013.



“The CCTV images showed a biker approaching her and she had some altercation with him. There was no SUV and no kidnapping bid took place,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.



The police report, a copy of which is with HT, had named nine independent witnesses who denied the occurrence of the incident.



Statements of the girl’s father Mukesh Tak and mother Nidhi were also mentioned in the report.