All 4 accused in Shakti Mills gang rape case convicted

All the four accused in the Shakti Mills gang-rape case were found guilty by a sessions court on Thursday.

It was around nine months ago that two young girls were allegedly gang raped in the abandoned mill premises.

The sessions court, presided over by principal judge Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, who conducted the trial, had informed the prosecution and defense advocates last week that in all likelihood, the judgment in both the cases would be pronounced on March 20.

The trial in both the cases started around last September, with the prosecution examining as many as 44 witnesses in the August 22-photojournalist gang rape case and 31 witnesses in the July 31-Bhandup-telephone operator gang rape case.

Special public prosecutor advocate Ujjwal Nikam represented the state in both the cases. Nikam told dna: "In both the cases, all the witnesses supported the prosecution's case. In both the cases, the victims, their colleagues and their mothers were the key witnesses. The DNA test reports in both the cases were also positive."

According to the prosecution, a 22-year-old photojournalist, on an assignment at the mills' premises along with her colleague on August 22, was gang raped by four men and a minor. The accused initially assaulted the girl's colleague and then raped the girl. All the accused were soon arrested.

A few days after they were arrested, a 19-year-old girl from Bhandup, a telephone operator by profession, complained to the police of a crime of similar nature.

During the investigation, the police realised that a few of the accused arrested in the August 22 case, were the same persons accused in the July 31 case too.

According to the police, on July 31 when the Bhandup girl and her friend were on their way to Mahalaxmi temple, she was gang raped in the Shakti Mills compound.