April 21, 2009 4:14:58 am
The Gujarat High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of the five accused in the Bijal Joshi gangrape case. The order was passed by a two-judge bench comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Rajesh Shukla.
Bijals sister,Sejal,told Newsline that she would soon file a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that the accused did not get any relief from the apex court.
Twenty-four-year-old Bijal Joshi,who was lured into Ahmedabads Ashoka Hotel,was gangraped on the night of December 31,2003 by her boyfriend Sajal Jain and his friends.
After she was gangraped,Bijal was branded with cigarettes and was badly beaten up. She later committed suicide on January 7,2004.
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During the trial,Sajal Jain and four others were found guilty on charges of gangrape,torture,administering intoxicating substance with an intent to cause hurt and wrongful confinement.
On June 20,2008,Sessions Judge Jyotsna Yagnik had sentenced Sajal Jain and his friends,Sugam Jaiswal,Chandan Jaiswal,Ashok Jaiswal alias Mandan and Dharmendra Jain to life imprisonment.
The court acquitted Pannalal Jaiswal,Anand Jaiswal,Harikrisnha Jaiswal,Seema Jaiswal,Shreya Jaiswal,Ashok Patel and Dr Yogesh Jadhav,who were accused of destroying evidence.
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