Delhi rape accused to confront each other

Manoj has told police that he did not sexually assault the girl and it was Pradeep who committed rape

Investigators will make the two accused in the rape of a five-year-old girl confront each other after the test identification parade of one of them, police said today.

Manoj, who was arrested on Saturday, was sent to judicial custody for test identification parade (TIP) and police is planning to conduct it soon.

After the TIP, sources said, they will seek custody of Manoj and confront him with Pradeep, who was arrested yesterday from Bihar.

Sources said Manoj told interrogators that Pradeep came to his house in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar on April 15 evening and they had consumed alcohol.

Manoj claimed that Pradeep insisted on bringing a girl to the house. He went out and lured the five-year-old girl living in the same building with a chocolate, sources said.

Manoj also told police that he did not sexually assault the girl and it was Pradeep who committed rape, they said.

He had also claimed that they fled from the house after strangulating her fearing that she will tell her parents about the crime they committed. They also thought she was dead, they said.

Pradeep, another accused in the Delhi rape case

However, the sources said, Pradeep had denied it and claimed that it was Manoj who allegedly raped the girl first.

"We need to confront both of them," a senior police official said.

Tihar Jail sources said till now they have no intimation about test identification parade. Tomorrow being a holiday, the parade is now likely to be held only on Thursday or later.

"Manoj is doing well and having proper food," a jail official said.