Overview
- Champawat police, who arrested Kamal Rawat and Arjita Rai on Friday, say the case was staged to frame three local men and the minor later told a court no rape occurred.
- The case began with a POCSO complaint on May 6 after the girl's father alleged a May 5 assault in Salli village and named a BJP local circle vice-president, a former village head, and a student.
- A 10-member Special Investigation Team reported no internal or external injuries in the medical exam, cited contradictions in witness accounts, and said technical data placed the named men away from the scene.
- Investigators allege an old enmity drove the plot and say the arrested group confined the girl and posted her video to social media to bolster the false claim, with a third person, Anand Singh Mehra, also booked.
- Following police findings, Congress-led demonstrations spread to cities including Dehradun, Pithoragarh, and Rishikesh as opposition leaders alleged shielding of BJP-linked figures, while BJP leaders highlighted the conspiracy claim and links investigators attribute to rivals.