Trial in Dec 16 gangrape case drawing to a close

The witnesses will be produced to corroborate the defence case that Pawan and Vinay were present at a musical function organised by a church at a district park in South Delhi on the night of the incident.

The defence requested for further witnesses as the prosecution produced additional witnesses to negate the alibi. Representatives from the Delhi Development Authority and neighbourhood churches told the court last week that no musical function was organised at the park on the fateful night. Vinay’s counsel,A P Singh,in response,requested the court’s permission to produce additional witnesses,including vendors stationed outside the park who would testify that the function had taken place. Singh had earlier alleged that the testimony of the prosecution witnesses was “false” and “tutored”. The court also allowed Pawan to present a witness who had not been able to depose earlier.

The defence of three accused in the case rests primarily on the alibi plea. Besides Pawan and Vinay,accused Akshay along with his relatives told the court that he had left Delhi for his village in Bihar a night prior to the incident. Their statements contradicts the case presented by co-accused Mukesh,who had testified that he was driving the bus at the time of the incident and all the five accused in the case were present at the back of the bus when the victim was allegedly gangraped.

The girl succumbed to her injuries 13 days later at a hospital in Singapore. Ram Singh,the driver of the bus,was found dead in his cell at Tihar jail on March 11 and proceedings against him have abated. A minor accused in the case was tried by the Juvenile Justice Board. The verdict in his case is likely to be pronounced on August 19.