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Shakti Mills gang-rape: Prosecution completes arguments

Government pleader Ujwal Nikam claims forensic reports had nailed the accused, who had entered into a conspiracy to gang-rape photojournalist

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The prosecution on Wednesday completed with its final arguments in the gang rape of a photojournalist on the Shakti Mills premises last year. The prosecution informed the trial court that immediately after the crime was committed, the police were successful in nabbing the right accused in the case.

In order to prove its stand, the prosecution further informed the court that they had also produced reports from the forensic science laboratory, which clearly proved the involvement of the accused in the alleged crime.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam while arguing before the court, presided over by Principal Judge Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, maintained, "As per to a saying, crimes which are committed are bound to be out sooner or later. However in the present case, before there was any investigation or arrests in the case, it was already revealed that there was the presence as well as participation of the accused in the case. Rather it was evident from the medical examination."

Nikam further added, "The incident occurred on August 22, 2013 and the victim was immediately taken to Jaslok Hospital for examination. Rather the FSL were quick enough in collecting all the required samples, which directly nailed the involvement of the accused."

Nikam told the court that apart from the participation of the accused in the case, the prosecution had also tried to prove that they had entered into a criminal conspiracy while committing the dastardly act.

"It is brought on record that when the accused took the victim to the dilapidated mills, they called up their other accused thereby informing accused that, 'The prey had arrived, all come to the spot'. This proves that the accused had hatched conspiracy and accordingly had then raped the victim," Nikam said.

After the prosecution completed its arguments, the defense advocates appearing on behalf of the accused started with their final arguments, thereby contending that the accused were falsely implicated in the case and that there were loopholes in the prosecution's case.

"The police as well as the prosecution failed to produce many minute details in the case, which thus reflects that the prosecution had falsely implicated the accused in the case," argued a defense advocate.

The case background

On August 22, 2013, a woman photojournalist was allegedly gang-raped inside the Shakti Mills compound at Mahalaxmi when she and a male colleague had gone there to take pictures for an assignment. Within a few days, the police arrested five accused – Qasim Shaikh (20), Vijay Jadhav (19), Siraj Khan (24), Salim Ansari (27) and a 16-year-old boy. Soon after, the police learnt that a telephone operator from from Bhandup, who had gone to the isolated mill compound with her boyfriend on July 31, was also sexually assaulted by the five youth. Police also found that Qasim, Jadhav and Ansari were among those accused as well.


 

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