Danish rape case verdict deferred

Six accused facing trial in the sensational gangrape of a 52-year-old Danish woman on Thursday sought more time from a fast-track court to file a reply to the plea of the Delhi police seeking to place on record medical and potency test report of one of the accused. Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja granted time to the defence counsel to file the response and fixed the case for January 27. The prosecutor has sought court’s permission to file original medical records and potency test report of accused Shyam Lal, who has claimed to be impotent, saying it was untraceable earlier. The court had pulled up the police for filing documents at a belated stage as it had already reserved the judgment in the case for Thursday, which would now be pronounced later. According to the prosecution, the nine accused, all vagabonds, had allegedly robbed and gangraped the Danish tourist at knife-point on the night of January 14, 2014 after leading her to a spot close to divisional railway officers’ club near New Delhi Railway Station.

All the nine accused were arrested. The six adult accused - Mahendra alias Ganja (26), Mohd Raja (22), Raju (23), Arjun (21), Raju Chakka (22) and Shyam Lal (55) - are in judicial custody and facing trial. Three other accused are juveniles against whom inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board is in progress. The accused are facing charges of alleged gangrape, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and receiving stolen property under the IPC.

During recording of their testimonies, the six adult accused have claimed innocence and alleged that the police had falsely implicated them.