The Bombay High Court on Monday disposed of a petition alleging that two Chhattisgarh tribal girls were gangraped by the Gadchiroli Police, PTI reported. The Nagpur bench of the high court said the girls had “emphatically denied any such act on the part of the police”.

Citing security reasons, the Gadchiroli Police had detained the two tribal girls after they were found walking alone in the forest area. The next morning they were released. However, Gadchiroli tribal activist Sainu Gota, his wife Sheela Gota and advocate Nihal Singh Rathod alleged that the police had gangraped the girls the night that they kept them.

The bench said the girls had stated that they were “compelled” by Sheela Gota to make such allegations. The girls had requested to go back to their village Jonawara in Chhattisgarh with their brother and uncle, the bench said. “In that view of the matter, we find that the purpose of the present petitions is served in as much as both of them are produced before this court. Hence, the petition has been disposed of,” the high court said.

On Saturday, the activist couple had been arrested on charges of spreading misinformation about police on social media and deterring a public servant from discharge of his duty. Advocate Rathod had filed a petition in the high court alleging that the two girls were gangraped.

The Bombay High Court had arranged a special hearing on Sunday after Rathod moved an urgent habeas corpus application, which urged the bench to grant custody of them to their brother. However, the bench had directed the girls to be sent to a correctional home in Nagpur until Monday.