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Kolkata, Oct 27 (IANS) The test identification (TI) parade report of the Durgapur gangrape victim was read out in the Durgapur sub-divisional court on Monday, revealing that Sheikh Firdous had raped the second-year medical student on October 10.
However, the victim’s lawyer claimed that apart from Firdaus, five people, including the victim’s boyfriend and classmate, were also involved in the gang rape incident in some way or the other.
After the five-day judicial custody period ended, all six accused were produced before the Durgapur sub-divisional court from the correctional facility.
During the hearing, the police submitted the TI parade report to the court. The victim’s lawyer applied to open the TI Parade report and the judge granted the application.
The victim’s lawyer Partha Ghosh told the media, “Sheikh Firdous is the main accused in this rape case. He was the one who raped the student. The remaining five are also involved in this rape case in some way or the other. Therefore, along with Sheikh Firdous, everyone will be punished equally under the relevant sections of the law.”
At the same time, the lawyer said that the victim’s classmate is the “main conspirator or mastermind” of the gang rape incident.
Since the accused classmate had already been identified, his TI parade was not conducted. However, the lawyer said that when the charge sheet is filed and the trial begins, the classmate’s name will also be included along with the other five accused.
It is noteworthy that there was no lawyer representing the accused during the virtual hearing. He himself requested the judge to grant him bail.
However, considering the depth and seriousness of the crime, the judge rejected the bail applications of the accused. The court also ordered to keep him in judicial custody till October 31.
According to the victim’s lawyer, the judge insisted on filing the charge sheet immediately and starting the trial process soon. The lawyer said, “If the police files the charge sheet before the next hearing on October 31, the trial process will start very quickly. Before that, a copy of the charge sheet will be given to all the parties involved in the case. Then, after framing of charges, the trial phase will start.”
On October 10, a second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped by five men in a forested area outside a private medical college and hospital in Durgapur in West Burdwan district.
Based on the complaint of the victim, the police had arrested all the five accused in the first case. Police said that only one person was involved in the physical and sexual assault of the medical student. Later, the police also arrested the victim’s classmate-cum-boyfriend, with whom she had gone out that evening, as investigators found inconsistencies in his statements during interrogation.
–IANS
SH/PGH