Dec 16 gangrape:Convicts tell HC case made up at behest Home Ministry

Two of the four death row convicts in the December 16 gangrape case today told the Delhi High Court that the case against them was "not investigated but prepared at the behest of the Ministry of Home Affairs and political bosses".

Mukesh and Pawan were tortured into giving self- incriminating stances, their counsel claimed before a bench of justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani.

"The entire case is outcome of torture and fabrication just to please the political bosses. There is length of lacuna which gives clear indication of fabrication of evidence against them," advocate M L Sharma submitted before the bench which was hearing their appeals against conviction and sentence.

The counsel said "the government has issued a statement on December 23 vowing to punish the rapists even when till that time no sample was sent to CFSL to ascertain that the accused were the culprits."

"This shows that this case was not investigated. It was prepared at the behest of MHA and the political bosses."

The counsel also questioned as to how did the police find blood on the seats when it was their own case that the victim was raped on the floor at the rear end of the vehicle.

He also said that the injury caused to the girl could have been sustained due to fall from the bus.

The convicts' counsel completed his arguments and will now file a synopsis by January 15.

Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan will rebutt the arguments tomorrow.

Besides Mukesh and Pawan, Akshay and Vinay were also sentenced to death by a fast track court last year for gangrape and murder of 23-year-old paramedic in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012.

The bench has already heard their arguments in appeal.