Chaos in court after defence witness fails to come to aid of accused

His alibi was corroborated by his father on Tuesday and his wife on Wednesday. According to the defence,Akshay’s father-in-law had visited him on December 17,a day after the incident.

A 23-year-old paramedic student was raped on a moving bus on the night of December 16 allegedly by six persons,one of whom is a minor. The victim succumbed to injuries in a Singapore hospital 13 days after the incident.

Akshay’s father-in-law had told Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna that he had met the accused on the afternoon of December 17.

However,during cross-examination,the witness accepted that he knew of Akshay being “implicated in the case” when he had visited him. The question was repeated a second time when the defence counsel insisted that the question be put more clearly.

According to the testimonies of Akshay’s father and wife,police had gone looking for Akshay on December 20 and had arrested him on December 21.

A P Singh,the defence counsel,argued that the question be put forth a third time with more clarity since it was likely that the witness,who was aged and not lettered,could not understand the question. Asked a third time,the witness said he had come to know that Akshay had been taken to the police station from the village chowkidar,and had thereafter returned to his village.

Akshay’s wife also told the judge that her husband had reached their village along with his sister-in-law and nephew on December 16. However,during the cross-examination,she mentioned that both her sisters-in-law stayed in the village and that her husband had not informed her of his visit on December 16.

“My husband was in the house on December 16 and I won’t believe you if you tell me otherwise,” she told the court.

The fast track court in Saket has recorded the testimony of co-accused Pawan and Vinay so far.

Testimonies of Akshay’s sister-in-law will be recorded on Thursday.