Cops grill gangrape accused; juveniles play blame game

Hyderabad: The accused involved in the 17-year-old girl’s gangrape and sexual assault case were reportedly playing the blame game by pointing fingers at one another when questioned separately by the investigation officials from the Jubilee Hills police station.
The police were given custody of all the accused in the case, including Sadudin Malik and five minors by the court.
Questioning of minors in the case began on Saturday. Meanwhile, officials reportedly finished medical examinations of three juveniles.
While officials started the first day of questioning with the minors, who were lodged at the Saidabad juvenile home, Sadudin Malik was called for the second time. Sunday will be the last day of his police custody.
On Saturday, the minors were reportedly taken to the Jubilee Hills police station from the juvenile home, following a request from the police to the authorities to make the necessary arrangements as it was not possible for them to question the minors on their premises.
The minor boys will be questioned everyday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Sources said the accused in the case were pointing fingers at each other during the questioning, claiming that they were merely following instructions of approaching and talking to the victim.
“It was reportedly revealed that it was Sadudin Malik, along with the son of the chairman of a minority board, who first approached the victim at Amnesia pub. The gang later said to have planned to talk her into getting into the car with them to the pastry shop. When questioned Malik said the son of the minority board chairman coaxed him into talking to her, while the juveniles said that it was Malik’s idea,” sources said, adding that the gang had not planned their escape before fleeing once the complaint was lodged with the police.
The accused were also questioned about their aides in escaping from the city. The accused were reportedly arrested from places in other states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa. Sources also shared that the officials were likely to show minors the evidence gathered by the police against them including the CCTV footage to cross examine and make them confess.
The Juvenile Justice Board on Thursday granted police a five-day custody of three juveniles and further granted custody of the rest of the minors.
However, the questioning could not be done on Friday due to the protests in the city and there was said to be alleged confusion over the location of questioning the minors. It was also learnt that the police are seeking to gather more information to piece together the sequence of events and the role played by each of the offenders to build a strong case against the accused for prosecution.
The sixth juvenile in the case, who is the son of an MLA of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), along with Malik and four juveniles, who were allegedly involved in the gangrape and sexual assault on May 28, were booked under IPC Sections 376 D (gangrape), 323 (causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 366 (kidnapping a woman) and 366 A (procuring of a minor girl), and Section 9 (G) read with 10, 5 (G) (gang penetrative sexual assault on child) read with Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and Section 67 of Information Technology Act.