Gangrape case: Accused want judge to recuse from trial

Three accused in the gangrape of a telephone operator in the Shakti Mill premises here have filed an application before a sessions court today urging the judge to recuse herself from the trial.
Ten days back, the court had rejected the trial case transfer application filed by same accused.
"We have filed an application saying that the judge should recuse from hearing our case," said advocate Moin Khan, who filed the application on behalf of accused Ashfaq Sheikh, Salim Ansari and Vijay Jadhav.
The prosecution will file its reply tomorrow, Khan said.
Earlier, sessions court principal judge Shalini Phansalkar-Josi had rejected the application seeking to transfer the trial to some other court.

In the transfer application, the accused had said that the points put forth by the defence were not brought on record.

Meanwhile, the court today also directed the jail authorities to forward the letter to the Bombay High Court in which the accused have sought to challenge the court's order on transfer application, Khan said.
Police had arrested Mohammed Ashfaq Sheikh, Mohamed Kasim Hafiz Sheikh alias Kasim Bangali, Salim Ansari, Vijay Jadhav and a minor for gang rape of the 18-year-old telephone operator on July 31.
The police on October 8 had filed a 362-page charge sheet against four accused in connection with telephone operator gang rape case. The minor's case was separated.

In another case, a journalist, who was interning with a English magazine here, was gangraped by five persons, including a juvenile whose trial is separated, when she had gone to the deserted mill compound her male colleague on an assignment.
The accused - Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Siraj Rehman - have been charged with rape, conspiracy, common intention, unnatural sex and charges under Information Technology Act.
The Mumbai crime branch had on September 19 filed a 600-page charge sheet against the four accused.