Delhi gang rape: 5 accused summoned; cops refute charges

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday issued a production warrant against five of the six accused in the Delhi gang-rape and murder case. The case against the sixth accused, said to be a minor, would be heard by the Juvenile Justice Board.

Metropolitan magistrate Namrita Aggarwal issued a production warrant against the five accused for January 7. The judge said, “I have perused the entire charge-sheet, medical report, statements of victims, and other documents.”

“Prima facie offence under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 395 (dacoity), 396 (murder in dacoity), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly or wrongfully confine a person), 394 (hurting in dacoity), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (conspiracy), 34 (common intention), 412 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the IPC are made out against all the accused,” the judge added.

The accused — bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, fruit seller Pawan Gupta, gym instructor Vinay Sharma and bus cleaner Akshay Thakur — are in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. “Statement of complainant (victim’s friend), statement of deceased (victim), DNA report, records of Safdarjung Hospital, death summary from the Singapore hospital — all are filed,” said public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have refuted allegations made by the male friend of the gang-rape victim about the delay in taking them to the hospital and said that police vans reached “the spot within no time” after receiving the call.

Vivek Gogia, joint commissioner of police (South-West), dismissed allegations that police response was tardy and the police control room (PCR) vans wasted time in taking them to a hospital by arguing over jurisdiction of the case. “There was no issue over jurisdiction of the case as PCR vans do not operate under police stations and their operation is regulated by control room at police headquarters,” he said.

Breaking his silence, the male friend of the Delhi gang-rape victim on Saturday night came on TV and sharply criticised the Delhi Police for their tardy response and bemoaned public apathy after both of them had been badly injured and thrown out of the bus after she was gang-raped by six men.