Dec 16 gang rape case: HC seeks CBI's response on accused plea

The Delhi High Court Friday sought response from the CBI on a plea filed by two Dec 16 gang rape accused, facing death penalty, to provide true copies of articles used for the DNA report.

Justice Pratibha Rani, refusing an early hearing in the case, asked the CBI to file its response by Feb 18, 2015.

Accused Mukesh and Pawan Gupta approached the high court through their counsel M.L. Sharma saying the DNA test was conducted in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scientific laboratory of the CBI and true photo of the articles used for DNA test was not given to the accused and also not filed in the trial court as well as in the high court in appeal.

It asked the court to direct CBI to provide true copies of articles used for DNA reports to them to advance their arguments in the Supreme Court in their appeals against their conviction and death sentence.

The trial court had awarded death sentence to them and the high court upheld the same.

"True photo of the articles used for DNA test couple with the true copy of the slide of the DNA test of each DNA report is required to the petitioner to ascertain and justify their defense to get justice," the plea said.

The court had awarded death sentence to Gupta, Mukesh, Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma for the brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on Dec 16, 2012.

Of the other accused, the juvenile was on Aug 31, 2013 convicted and sentenced to a maximum of three years in a reformation home by the Juvenile Justice Board, while prime accused Ram Singh was found dead in his cell in Tihar Jail in March last year and the proceedings against him were abated.