A 52-year-old Danish woman was gang-raped by nine persons including three juveniles. (Photo for representational purposes only)
A Delhi court has fixed January 4 for hearing final arguments in a case related to the alleged gang-rape of a 52-year-old Danish woman by nine persons including three juveniles in New Delhi last year.
The court listed the matter for final arguments after the six adult accused said in their testimonies that they do not want to examine any witness in their defence.
"Statement of accused recorded under section 313 of CrPC. Accused state that they do not want to examine any witness in their defence. Hence defence evidence stands closed," Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja said while fixing the matter for January 4, 2016.
During recording of their statements in the court, the six accused claimed innocence and alleged that the police falsely implicated them in the case.
The court had asked over 100 questions each to the six accused.
It had recorded the testimonies of accused Mahender, Arjun, Mohd Raja, Raju, Raju Chakka and Shyam Lal in which they had denied the charges of raping the woman.
They had claimed that a day prior to the alleged incident on January 14, 2014, they had hired a prostitute and had physical relations with her and had not done anything with the Danish woman.
They had also claimed that the case property was planted on them by the police to implicate them in the matter.
The police chargesheet has said the nine accused, all vagabonds, had allegedly robbed and gangraped the Danish tourist at knife-point on the night of January 14 last year after leading her to a secluded spot close to the Divisional Railway Officers' Club near New Delhi Railway Station.
The nine accused were arrested. The three juveniles are facing an inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).
The six adult accused - Mahendra alias Ganja (26), Mohd Raja (22), Raju (23), Arjun (21), Raju Chakka (22) and Shyam Lal (55) - are in judicial custody and facing trial.
The nine accused have been booked on charges of gang-rape and robbery or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt under IPC.
Earlier, depositions of the victim and two Danish police officers, who had come here from Denmark in pursuance to summons, were also recorded by the court.
During an in-camera hearing on July 1, the woman had narrated to the judge the entire incident and identified three of the six adult accused as the ones who had gang-raped her.
However, while deposing before JJB, she had turned hostile and failed to identify the three minor offenders.