Danish gang-rape case: Enough evidence against accused, say cops

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Wednesday sought the conviction of six accused, who are facing trial for allegedly gangraping a 52-year-old Danish woman here in 2014, saying there was sufficient evidence to prove their ill intent and committing of the crime.

Advancing final arguments before Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja, the prosecutor said on the night of the incident, the woman had sought directions to her destination from the accused persons, who, on the garb of guiding her, took her to a secluded place and raped her.

"The accused took the woman to a secluded place which amounts to kidnapping and this shows their ill intention as thereafter, they gangraped her, looted her articles and also threatened her," Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava argued.

He said the provisions of kidnapping, gangrape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, dacoity, receiving stolen property under the IPC are made out against the accused and they should be held guilty of all these offences.

The prosecutor, while concluding his arguments, also said that scientific evidence, eyewitness account and recoveries made from the accused also nail their guilt. There were a total of nine accused, including three juveniles against whom inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) is in progress. Shrivastava had yesterday argued that testimonies of the victim and an eyewitness along with medical evidence established that nine accused including three juveniles had raped the woman.

The police charge sheet has said 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 secluded spot close to the 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. The nine accused have been booked on charges of gangrape and robbery or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt.

During recording of their testimonies, the six adult accused had claimed innocence and alleged that the police had falsely implicated them in the case. They had also said they do not want to examine any witness in their defence.