Shakti Mills: Chargesheet filed on gangrape of telephone operator

Mumbai: The police today filed a chargesheet, against four accused in connection with the 31 July gangrape of an 18-year-old telephone operator on the premises of Shakti Mills compound here. Besides the statements of 56 witnesses, the 362-page chargesheet also includes the statement of the victim, which is recorded under the provisions of section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) by a magistrate, besides the statements of her male friend and her mother. [caption id=“attachment_1160707” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The accused viz, Mohammed Ashfaq Sheikh, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Vijay Jadhav, have been booked on the charges of gangrape, unnatural sex, criminal conspiracy, common intention and criminal intimidation besides other sections. Three of the accused in the 31 July case are also allegedly involved in the 22 August gang-rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist in the same premises. The photojournalist, an intern with an English magazine, was allegedly raped by five persons, including a juvenile, when she had gone to the Shakti Mills with her male colleague for an assignment. Meanwhile, Additional Metropolitan Magistrate UM Padwad has transferred the case for trial to the sessions court. The case is likely to come up for hearing on 10 October. The prosecution is also likely to submit draft charges to the sessions court on 10 October in the photojournalist gang-rape case. The chargesheet in the 22 August case was filed on 19 September. PTI