Court denies bail in gang rape case, terms allegations ‘very grave’

PTI, Jun 24, 2021, 6:44 PM IST

New Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday denied bail to an accused in a gang-rape case, saying the allegations against him were grave and he may flee if allowed to come out of jail.

Accused Ajay Gupta allegedly lured a woman hailing from Rajasthan with a gold chain and the earrings, took her to a hut of a co-accused where six people took turns to rape her, Delhi Police said.

Junking his bail plea, Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Malik observed, “Gravity of the offence is reflected from the fact that she was spotted by the accused and they took her to their Jhuggi. They made her drink and took turns to rape her. The allegations are very grave.” The judge also said there was likelihood that the accused may influence prosecution witnesses or flee from justice considering the serious nature of allegations, and hence no case to release him on bail is made out.

Additional Public Prosecutor R S Mangal Murti, representing the police, told the court that the woman had boarded an Assam-bound train from Rajasthan’s Sikar city on April 13 but on reaching Delhi, her husband left her at the station and went back.

“The victim then reached Delhi’s Pitampura area by wandering around and met Ajay Gupta who lured her with a gold chain and earrings and took her to the hut of co-accused Deepak where five men were present,” he said. “Gupta raped her and then the accused Deepak, Ankit, Kunal, Anurag, and Sunny took turns to rape her. Thereafter, the accused left her at Bus Stop, Pitampura, and fled the spot,” the prosecutor said.

Counsel for the accused submitted however that there are contradictions in woman’s statement and that a false story has been cooked up to frame his client.

“Her husband contradicted her by stating that they had reached Delhi by bus, whereas, she mentioned in the FIR that she had reached Delhi by train,” the counsel said.

He also said the woman had no injury mark at the time of her medical examination, whereas, she alleged that she was raped.

Gupta and the co-accused are facing charges of gang rape under the Indian Penal Code.