Delhi gang-rape attackers to appear in court on Monday
05 Jan 2013
A Delhi magistrate has directed the police to produce before the court on Monday the five accused in the 16 December gang rape case, in which the victim was brutally assaulted by five men and later succumbed to injuries in a Singapore hospital.
Taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Delhi police, metropolitan magistrate Namrita Aggarwal said she had perused the chargesheet and other documents.
Prima facie offence under various sections of the Indian Penal Code – including murder, attempt to murder, gang rape, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence, conspiracy and common intention – had been made against all the accused, she said.
On Thursday, the Delhi police had filed an elaborate chargesheet against the accused. Five of them – Ram Singh, Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur – are to be produced before the magistrate on Monday.
The shocking attack on the 23-year-old victim, a physio-therapy student, stunned the nation, leading to widespread protests. Thousands of protestors demonstrated in Delhi for days after the incident, demanding tough new security measures to protect women.
Unnerved by the widespread unrest, the government decided to initiate changes in laws relating to rape. The Delhi police have been slammed by activists for its alleged ham-handedness in dealing with rape victims.
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