Delhi gang-rape accused charge sheeted in robbery case

The accused had robbed a vegetable seller before brutally assaulting the girl

The accused in the December 16 gang-rape case were today charge sheeted in a court here by the Delhi Police in a separate case of robbing lodged against them for looting a vegetable seller before brutally assaulting the girl.

During a closed-door proceeding, the police filed its charge sheet against all the accused before Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain, who also took cognisance of the final report, court sources said.

"Cognisance taken. To come for scrutiny of documents and consideration on March 3," the magistrate said.

According to sources, the charge sheet was filed for the offences punishable under various sections, including 395 (dacoity), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The six accused, bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, Akshay Singh and a juvenile, had allegedly robbed Ramadhar Singh, a vegetable seller, of his day's earnings after luring him into the bus.

According to sources, the proceedings against Ram Singh would be abated as he had allegedly committed suicide inside the Tihar Jail.

The juvenile, who was acting as the conductor, has been named in this case but a separate charge sheet has already been filed against him before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The other four adult accused are also facing trial in the gang-rape case before a fast-track court and they have pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against them.

According to the police, Ramadhar, a resident of Sangam Vihar in South Delhi, was returning home from the RK Puram market when he was lured into the bus and robbed by the accused, who took away Rs 700 and a mobile phone from him.

Police had later on recovered the looted amount and the mobile phone from the accused.

The tracking of this incident helped the cops in establishing the movement of all the six accused on that fateful day.

They had allegedly pushed Ramadhar out of the bus near the IIT flyover on the evening of December 16 and then moved towards Munirka bus stand where the girl and her male friend were waiting for a public transport, it had said.