Delhi gang-rape: Victim did not die here, police tells court

Delhi Police refuted the allegations of four accused in Delhi gang-rape case in a special court that the victim died before being taken to Singapore.

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Tuesday refuted the allegations of the four accused in the December 16 gang-rape case in a special court that the victim was not assaulted by iron rods and she died before being taken to Singapore. "It is wrong to suggest that I had not taken the opinion of the doctors during the lifetime of the victim, despite various opportunities, as the said weapons were allegedly not with us at that time or that the same were planted later after the death of the girl. "It is wrong to suggest that the girl expired before being sent to Singapore or that due to the pressure her body was sent to Singapore...," the SHO of Vasant Vihar police station told Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna.

The counsel for the accused had alleged the SHO had not taken the opinion of doctors on the weapons of offence during the lifetime of the victim, "despite various opportunities" because the iron rods were never used in the offence. Deposing as a 78th prosecution witness, the SHO said the the two iron rods were not taken to Singapore where the doctors conducted the postmortem. Hence, the opinion of doctors at Singapore could not be taken on the injuries inflicted by the iron rods, the SHO testified. "When I reached Singapore, the postmortem had already been conducted and the body was transported to the airport," he said. Four accused - Vinay, Mukesh, Pawan and Akshay Thakur - are facing trial in the gangrape and murder of the 23-year-old paramedical student and attack on her friend on the night of December 16. The girl died of her injuries on December 29 last year at a Singapore hospital. PTI