Gangrape of five-year-old: Police file chargesheet against two accused

The police said that Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act,which was enacted after the December 16 Delhi gangrape,required the accused persons to prove their innocence. Under the Indian Penal Code,which is used by the police to book the accused persons,the onus is on the prosecution to prove the offences. The police in their chargesheeted told the court that the accused persons Manoj and Pradeep had been arrested from Bihar days after they fled the capital,leaving the victim to die inside the room.

The court took cognizance of the chargesheet and has fixed the next date of hearing for July 1. The court will preside over the arguments for the framing of charges against both the accused who are presently in judicial custody.

On April 15,the accused Manoj,who was the victim’s neighbour,kidnapped the five-year-old and held her in confinement inside his house in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar.

The accused had brutally assaulted the victim and fled the house after locking it from inside,believing the victim to have died. The victim’s cries were heard by her mother,who broke into the house and rushed her to the hospital.

The gangrape of the minor had sparked widespread protests across the capital leading to the transfer of several police officials,including the then DCP(East). A police case was also registered against an ACP,who was caught on tape slapping a young woman,who was a part of the protests.