Gangrape case: Five youths put on trial

A Delhi court has framed gangrape charge against five youths, who had allegedly pulled out a 26-year-old performing artiste from an auto rickshaw in Defence colony area and assaulted her.
The court, while framing the charge under section 376D of IPC against Balwinder, Deepak, Aakash, Aman and Sundar, said it has to prima facie see whether material available on record connects the accused with the commission of the alleged offence.
"Prima facie case under section 376 (D) (gangrape) of IPC is made out against all the accused persons except the accused Rohit," Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain said while noting that Rohit got down from the car after abducting the woman.

The court also framed charges under sections 365 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping a woman for marriage), 323 (volountarily causing hurt) and 506/34 (criminal intimidation with common intention) of IPC against Balwinder, Deepak, Aakash and Rohit.
All the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after which the court posted the matter for recording of evidence on November 3.
The court in its order said, "The incident happened at night at odd hours and may be the prosecutrix is a performing artiste but her statement shows that that she was abducted for illicit intercourse and was gangraped. She was threatened to kill."

Public Prosecutor A T Ansari said the DNA samples of the accused are consistent with the DNA of the woman which substantiate their involvement in the crime.

According to police, on May 16, the woman was allegedly gangraped by the accused at a house in Dakshinpuri here after being kidnapped from Defence Colony area.
According to police, the woman, a resident of Uttam Nagar, worked with an event management firm as a performing artiste on contract basis.
It said the woman was pulled out from an auto into the car by the accused. The auto rickshaw driver noted down the car's number and had informed the police.