The bail pleas for four of the six accused in the Jubilee Hills gang rape case were turned down by two different city courts on Wednesday, 22 June, while orders for the bail plea of one of the two remaining accused was posted for Thursday.
The only accused above the age of 18, Saduddin Malik, did not move a bail plea.
The New Indian Express reported that the investigating agency opposed bail to the accused citing reasons of political influence held by the accused and the possibility of potential influence during the investigation.
The court, agreeing with the agency’s contention, rejected the accused’s appeal.
What Was the Incident?
A group of young men allegedly raped a minor girl inside an Innova car in Hyderabad on 28 May. The incident took place while the 17-year-old girl was returning from a party at a pub in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The survivor and the accused were attendees of a party hosted at the pub.
The accused, who had already conspired to rape the survivor, offered to drop the girl home in their car, as per the police.
The survivor was first taken in a Mercedes car and was molested. Photographs of the accused persons kissing the survivor were taken inside the Mercedes. These photographs were later circulated. The survivor was later asked to board an Innova car where she was raped by five persons including four minors.
While the girl had initially not reported the incident to her family, since she had visible injuries on her neck from the assault, her father lodged a complaint at the Jubilee Hills police station.
The police on 31 May registered a case for "outraging the modesty of a woman" and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. After the survivor reported the sexual assault to the medical officer, the charge of rape was added to the case on 1 June.
The accused were also charged under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.
NCPCR Intervenes
The National Council for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had also asked the Hyderabad police to provide an explanation over the delay in the registration of an FIR for the case.
In a letter to the Hyderabad police, the NCPCR wrote: "The Commission has observed that since the incident allegedly/reportedly took place on 28.05.2022 (Saturday), the FIR in the said incident has been lodged on 31.05.2022, i.e. after three days of the incident."
The authority also asked the Hyderabad police to file a detailed case report from the date of receipt of the letter, which should include age proof of minor victims, real and legible copy of the FIR, copies of victim statements, copy of charge sheet, the action taken against the accused and the status of the investigation.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)