Child rape case: Both Pradeep, Manoj raped minor girl, police tells court

NEW DELHI: The second accused in the alleged gangrape of a five-year-old girl was today sent to four-day police custody by a city court which was told by the Delhi Police that both he and accomplice Manoj had raped the minor.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg remanded 19-year- old Pradeep, who was arrested from Bihar yesterday and brought here on transit remand, to police custody till April 27 after the police said he had to be interrogated to unearth the sequence of events.

Amid high security, Pradeep was brought to the court in muffled face.

While main accused Manoj, who is at present in judicial custody, had told the agency that not he but Pradeep had assaulted the girl sexually, the police today told the court that both of them had raped the minor.

The court had asked the probe agency if both the accused had raped the child to which the police officials replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, both had raped the girl," the prosecutor said. The court also issued for tomorrow production warrant for Manoj as the police said it needed to confront him with Pradeep.

Pradeep was produced before ASJ Garg since he is presiding officer of the special court under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences ( POCSO) Act and both the accused have been booked under provisions of this Act.

Seeking eight-day custody of Pradeep, the prosecution said they had to recover the mobile phones used by them and since their investigation is mid-way, some new facts might emerge during their interrogation.