Trauma Trial

Five of the PTC teachers 8212; Manish Parmar, Ashwin Parmar, Mahendra Prajapati, Atul Patel, and Suresh Patel 8212; have been charged with rape and unlawful compulsory labour. Another teacher,nbsp;Kiran Patel, who is physically challenged,nbsp;has been charged with committing 8216;unnatural8217; offences.

Of the accused, Atul Patel is said to be close to Anandiben Patel. He was part of her election campaign team in 2002. Another accused, Manish Parmar, is related to state Education Minister Ramanlal Vora.

On Thursday, the defence lawyer had contended that since the alleged offences were committed at different places at different times, the trial of all the cases cannot be clubbed together and need to be tried separately.

The defence lawyer had argued that since two of the accused teachers were from the Dalit community, the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was not applicable in their case.

Special Public Prosecutor Naina Bhatt on Friday contended that since the acts were committed under a common design and with a common purpose of outraging the modesty of a female student, they should be viewed as one transaction and be tried accordingly.

The victim, daughter of a daily wager from Jetalvasna village in Mehsana, on February last had alleged repeated gangrapes by her teachers. She was allegedly raped between September, 2007 and January, 2008.

Despite tremendous pressure from the civil society and media, the state Government refused to hand over the case to the CBI. State CID had filed the chargesheet in the case only on April 12 after the Governor had intervened.

Meanwhile, the girl appeared for her examination and scored 84.84 per cent in her first-year PTC examination.

Ironically, a day after the results were declared, one of her teachers found a suicide note drafted by her inside her book. Soon, the girl moved with Manjula Pradeep of Navsarjan, a pan-Gujarat Dalit organisation, which has provided her the requisite legal assistance.

Timeline

8226;July 24, 2007: The girl takes admission in DIET PTC.

8226;November 9, 2007: Ashwin Parmar calls her to technology lab. She is allegedly gangraped by Ashwin, Manish Parmar, Mahendra Prajapati. A fortnight later, she is allegedly raped again by Manish and gangraped by Manish, Kiran and Suresh Patel.

8226;December 31, 2007: Suresh, Kiran and Manish allegedly rape her at Khumbhwa village where the students were taken for their internship.

8226;January 25, 2008: Atul Patel rapes her in the institute8217;s computer room and threatens to kill her if she discloses anything.

8226;January 30, 2008: The victim shares her woes with her friends.

8226;January 31, 2008: She faints in the prayer hall and is taken to a doctor where gangrape is confirmed.

8226;February 4, 2008: Students attack the accused teachers with sticks and bricks.

8226;February 6, 2008: Gujarat Government orders a magisterial inquiry. The National Commission for Women visits Patan, forms a four-member inquiry committee.

8226;February 7, 2008: Guardians of PTC students go to Gandhinagar to meet the state Education Minister, who refuses to meet them.

8226;April 4, 2008: Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma expresses concern over delay in filing chargesheet by the CID, asks for the case to be tried by a fast-track court.

8226;April 11, 2008: CID Crime files chargesheet before a judicial magistrate in Patan. Case committed to fast track court for trial.

8226;May 6, 2008: Trial begins.

8226;May 28, 2008: State Government appoints Naina Bhatt as the Special Public Prosecutor as per victim8217;s request.

8226;June 23, 2008: The victim8217;s result for first year examination declared.

8226;June 25, 2008: Her teacher finds a suicide note in her books.

8226;June 26, 2008: She walks out of her father8217;s house and moves in with Manjula Pradeep from Navsarjan.

8226;June 28, 2008: She collapses at Navsarjan office after meeting her parents and is hospitalised.

8226;July 3, 2008: She collapses in the court.

8226;July 10, 2008: Defense lawyer seeks to have different chargesheet for different events.