Family members of rape acccused Yumnam Surjitkumar on Saturday refuted the charges against him and termed it baseless, and said that it was a case of elopement with consent of the nursing student who claimed to be the victim.
A complaint was lodged at Lamphel Women Police Station against Surjitkumar, who is the founder of the Saina Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), on charge of kidnapping and raping a student of the institute on August 14 by the family of the student.
Speaking to the media at Kongkham Leikai Community Hall in Imphal East, sister of the founder Y Tomthinganbi Chanu said the so-called victim had "happily eloped" with her brother on August 14.
The next day she was dropped at her home as per the Meitei tradition, she further said.
“Soon after we dropped her home, she was dragged inside the house by her family members while I and two others were detained in their courtyard. They tortured us mentally using abusive languages and pulled my hair.
“Two of my brothers were physically assaulted and severely beaten by their family members who also vandalised our car. There is a big conspiracy going on behind the scene,” she added.
In regard to the alleged act of violence, she informed that a complaint had been lodged at the Singjamei police station.
She further claimed that her brother had been in a relationship with the woman for more than two years and everyone knows about it. She also displayed various photos of her brother and the woman in joyous moments together as evidence.
She further appealed to the public to not judge her brother by hearing cooked up and one-sided stories. “There is a big difference between rape and elopement,” she added.
Meanwhile, principal chief of SIMS, N Prabin Meetei clarified that the institute had not organised any sort of picnic on August 14.
The institute does not have anything to do with the personal life of its founder and the elopement is a personal matter, he said.
The institute had suspended the founder and the two others whom police have booked criminal cases, he added.
