December 16 gang rape convicts held guilty in robbery case

A court here on Thursday held four December 16, 2012 gang rape convicts guilty in a robbery case that took place on the same night.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh convicted them in the robbery case and posted the matter for September 2 for arguments on quantum of sentence.

The court convicted them under various charges dealing with dacoity, kidnapping, wrongfully confining any person, voluntarily causing hurt in committing or attempting to commit robbery, dishonestly receiving stolen property knowing that it was obtained by dacoity and common intention of the Indian Penal Code.

The four gang rape convicts -- Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Mukesh and Pawan Gupta -- were being tried for allegedly beating up and robbing carpenter Ram Adhar, before raping and assaulting a 23-year-old physiotherapist in a moving bus here December 16, 2012.

All four have been sentenced to death in the rape case by a trial court, which was confirmed by the Delhi High Court. The matter is now pending in the Supreme Court.

The Delhi Police, in its charge sheet filed on March 15, 2013 in the robbery case, had alleged that bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay, Pawan and Akshay, along with a juvenile, had snatched Ram Adhar's mobile phone and Rs.1,500 after luring him into the bus.

Mukesh, Vinay, Pawan and Akshay were put on trial in this case after framing of charges on July 2013.

Their statement in the robbery case was recorded in March last year while the court on January 10, 2013, concluded recording of statement of prosecution witnesses. A total of 37 prosecution witnesses were examined in this case.

Charges against Ram Singh had abated followed by his death in his cell in Tihar Jail on March 2013, while the minor was sentenced to three years in reform home in the gangrape and murder case by the Juvenile Justice Board.