Activist Sudha Varghese briefly detained on charges of trying to influence minor rape survivor in Bihar

Begusarai police briefly detained Padma Shri and social worker Sudha Varghese along with her six-member team in connection with allegedly influencing minor rape survivor.

The district police also deleted the recorded statement of the victim from their mobile phones and then released them.

Sudha Varghese along with her team members and Patna High Court lawyer Ashok Kumar went to Sadar hospital and met the victim.

Awanti Kumari, the SHO of women police station of Begusarai said that Sudha and her team were influencing the rape victim to give wrong statement.

"We have deployed cops for the protection of the victim. When Sudha Verghese and her team reached the Sadar hospital and started taking her statement, they were asking the victim to give a video statement according to what they were instructing her. The cops present there objected to the act of Sudha Verghese and informed the senior officers of Sahebpur Kamal police station of the district," Kumari said.

"A team of Sahebpur Kamal police station reached there and detained them. They handed it over to us. During the detention, they were involved in creating ruckus with police officials as well as local journalists," Kumari said.

Ashok Kumar, the lawyer of Patna High Court, who was also a part of the team of Sudha Verghese, said: "The local police detained us and took our mobile phones. They have deleted the videos from our phones and also abused us."

Amit Kumar, DSP of Begusarai (Sadar) said: "Sudha Verghese and her team members were detained and released late on Wednesday night. They tried to influence the victim to give a wrong statement."

The 7-year-old girl was raped by a person on the day of Holi in Begusarai. Since then, she has been admitted in the Sadar hospital.