Shakti Mills gangrape: Fresh charges framed against 3 common convicts

Days after sentencing four men to life term for brutalising a telephone operator in Shakti Mills compound, a local court framed fresh charges against the three common convicts in the 2013 photojournalist gangrape case.
Four men convicted for gang raping a photojournalist at Shakti Mills compound last year, is taken to the Session Court from Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai on Monday. (PTI)

The additional charges were framed under section 376 (e) of the IPC for repeated offence after court accepted the prosecution's application on the count. (PTI)

However, the three common convicts-- Kasim Bengali, Vijay Jadhav and Mohammed Salim Ansari, while pleading not guilty, refused to sign the copy of the charges, stating that they are yet to go through the judgement in the telephone operator case. (PTI)

Earlier, Principal Sessions Shalini Phansalkar Joshi rejected the defence plea to stay the trial in the case, which was adjourned till today to decide on the prosecution's plea and then proceed on the quantum of punishment. (PTI)

Nikam had told PTI that the maximum penalty under section 376(e) of IPC is capital punishment. (IE Photo: Amit Chakravarty)

Refusing to grant any stay, the court today said that the accused can challenge the order even when the trial is on. (IE Photo: Amit Chakravarty)