The complainant in the IIM Calcutta rape case is "incommunicado" and has skipped two appearances before the magistrate to record her statement, Chief Public Prosecutor Shourin Ghoshal told NDTV on Friday.
The mobile phone of the woman, who was allegedly raped by a student at the institute's boys hostel, is switched off and there is no alternative way to reach out to her, Mr Ghoshal added.
The developments came a week after the woman reported the incident and the accused student was arrested, even as the complainant's father claimed that no such crime had taken place. The accused continues to remain in police custody.
It also came amid police's claims of several discrepancies in the woman's statement.
"The statement of the survivor is crucial in the investigation. We have one statement but she has skipped two days and hasn't appeared before the magistrate. However, it will not impact the case as we will continue to base our charges on forensic findings," Mr Ghoshal said.
According to the police, the woman, a psychological councillor, claimed she was called to the hostel for a counselling session. "She then became unconscious after consuming a drink laced with drugs at the hostel. The woman realised she had been raped after regaining consciousness," an officer said, seeking anonymity.
She also alleged that the accused had threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter to anyone, the officer added.
The woman's father, however, said she met with an accident and suffered injuries. "I received a call from my daughter around 9.40 pm on Friday. She told me she had fallen from a vehicle, lost consciousness and suffered injuries. Later, I came to know she was admitted to SSKM Hospital. Nothing of the sort that the police are claiming happened, based on the details I received from my daughter," he said.
On Tuesday, the police sought the CCTV footage of July 11 of the entire campus of the IIM-Calcutta as part of the investigation. The police found discrepancies in her claim and wanted to ascertain which places of the institution the alleged victim had visited during her stay there on that day, a third officer said.
He also said that the alleged rape survivor is yet to give her consent to the medico-legal test in connection with their probe into the matter.
One of the accused's lawyers, however, said he was a "victim of circumstance". Another lawyer told a local court last week that "there was consent" between his client and the survivor.
West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said: "We do not support crimes against women. The Kolkata Police is investigating the case. The state government has taken measures to sensitise the public."
The case came to light almost a fortnight after a student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata, and months after a medical trainee was allegedly gang-raped inside state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city - both incidents that sparked a massive political row and nationwide protests.
