Jamshedpur, June 16: A three-member defence counsel today cross-examined the NRI woman who was allegedly raped in Ghatshila last year.

The cross-examination took place at the court of the additional district judge of Ghatshila court, Ajit Thakur.

The defence counsel comprising Anirban Sarkar, H.K. Soni and M. Haque grilled the woman for nearly two hours starting at 10 am. The woman was allegedly raped by four local youths on the evening of August 16 last year.

The 27-year-old NRI wanted to witness the sunset at Subarnarekha river as she had heard a lot about it from her friends. After sundown, four local youths allegedly raped her.

During the cross-examination, the victim was asked to tell how she came to know about the scenic beauty of Ghatshila. She informed the court that her friends and acquaintances in Calcutta had told her about the place.

The NRI told the court that the spot she chose to witness the sunset and gaze at the stars was not a lonely one, adding that she had seen some local people there before opting for it.

The woman also pointed out that her efforts to resist the four youths were of no use since they held her hands and legs tightly.

The defence counsel was also learnt to have asked the victim questions on the delay in her medical examination at Calcutta. Replying to their queries, the victim said she was initially taken to the city-based MGM Hospital for medical examination.

However, since she was in a hurry to reach Calcutta, the woman decided to have her medical examination done in Calcutta.

She told the court that when she visited the doctor in Calcutta for medical examination, the former refused to do the needful because he wanted Ghatshila police to approach him first. After Ghatshila police gave their green signal, the doctor conducted the medical examination of the victim.

The NRI also pointed out that a woman attendant accompanied her during the medical examination.

Asked how she knew Madhuchanda Kalrekar and Kalpana Sen — two of her Calcutta-based associates who rushed to Ghatshila on August 17 after getting news of the incident — the victim told the court that both of them were social workers and she got to know them through her work.

She also told the court that there was no police official present during the trial identification (TI) parade though some had accompanied her to the venue.

Sen, when cross-examined, told the court that she was in Calcutta on the day of the incident. She received a call from the victim about the incident following which she rushed to Ghatshila along with Karlekar.

The defence counsel would cross-examine the doctor who conducted the medical examination at the same court in the first week of July.