Shakti Mills gangrape: Telephone operator completes deposition

Mumbai: The 18-year-telephone operator, who was allegedly gang-raped at the Shakti Mills compound in central Mumbai on 31 July, today completed her deposition before a sessions court. The defence lawyers had last month sought time from the court to cross-examine the survivor. During her examination by the prosecution, the girl had sought court’s permission to beat up the accused in the court. [caption id=“attachment_1223379” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The police had arrested Mohammed Ashfaq Sheikh, Mohamed Kasim Hafiz Sheikh alias Kasim Bangali, Salim Ansari, Vijay Jadhav- in connection with this case. On 8 October, the police had filed a 362 pages charge sheet against the four accused in the case. Three accused in this case were also allegedly involved in the gangrape of a photojournalist on the same premises on 22 August. The journalist, who was interning with an English magazine in the city, was gangraped by five persons, including a juvenile, when she had gone to the deserted mill compound with her male colleague on an assignment. The accused had tied up the victim’s colleague with belts and allegedly raped her. The accused, Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Siraj Rehman have been charged with rape, conspiracy, common intention, unnatural sex and charges under Information Technology Act in the journalist gangrape case. The Mumbai Crime Branch had on September 19 filed a 600-page chargesheet against the four accused in the 22 August case. PTI