New Delhi, Oct 19: A city court today rejected the bail plea of Avdesh Kumar Sharma, a former Delhi University students union president and prime accused in the Mandakini Enclave gang rape case, saying that there is prima-facie evidence to connect the accused with the offence. The court said keeping in view the serious nature of charge against the accused and the fact that five other accused are absconding and the car in which the victim was taken is yet to be recovered, it is not a fit case for bail. Sharma's counsel I U khan had contended that the accused be granted bail as none of the three witnesses had identified him during the Test-Identification Parade (TIP). However, prosecution opposed the contention saying the victim was under mental stress at the time of TIP.
The 33-year-old Sharma, a resident of Alaknanda, was arrested from Nizamuddin area on October 8 after police suspected his involvement in the gang-rape of the 22-year old woman, an artist with a musical group.
She was forcibly taken away and allegedly gang raped by the accused and half-a-dozen youth in Mandakini Enclave area of south Delhi in the wee hours of October 7. Earlier, the court has directed the police to conduct the DNA test of the accused on priority basis.