13 yrs after he ‘raped’ teen in Germany,man to stand trial

Paving the way for the trial,Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Kumar recently framed the penal charges under the provisions of gangrape against Singh,an illegal immigrant who worked at a restaurant in Darmstadt and was 19 years old when he allegedly committed the crime in August 1997.

The Investigating Officer (IO) in the case has already written to the German authorities asking for a DNA profile sample,which would be examined in India for forensic evidence. “He (IO) has received a letter from Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany,New Delhi,where it is expressed that prosecutrix is willing to come to India for deposition,” an order sheet of ASJ Kumar read.

The investigators have also applied for a sanction under the Criminal Procedure Code to prosecute Singh for an offence committed outside India. The CrPC provision entitles the prosecution to try an accused as if the offence was committed in this country.

Besides directing the IO Inspector Satya Prakash to issue summons to four witnesses in Germany,ASJ Kumar had also asked the officer to consider the possibility of recording evidence of these prosecution witnesses through video-conferencing.

On the last date of hearing,the IO informed the court that the summons were being sent through proper diplomatic channels and he was also in contact with the officials concerned on the possibility of video-conferencing.

The court will now take up the matter in the first week of February,when the IO is expected to inform the judge about the manner in which the trial could be conducted and also about the response of the four witnesses who have been sent summons to depose.