Hyderabad: The son and another relative of a MLA of the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) are among six accused arrested by Hyderabad police in the sensational case of a gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car on May 28.
While four accused were already arrested, the police on Tuesday night announced the arrest of two others, including the MLA’s son.
While five accused, including a major, were involved in sex with the victim, the sixth, a juvenile and son of a MLA, has been booked for molestation.
Four juveniles involved in the gang-rape include the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who heads a government body, and a relative of the MIM MLA.
Police found the crime was also committed in an Innova vehicle hired for government duty. The vehicle was later seized from the farm house of the TRS leader.
The police had earlier said that out of five accused, three were juveniles. Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, however, told a news conference on Tuesday night that one of the accused, who was earlier reported to be a major, was in fact a month short of 18.
Draw your own conclusions
He refused to reveal the names of Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) or their parents. “You can draw your own conclusions,” he said, when asked if the MLA’s son is among those arrested on Tuesday.
Stating that they have strong evidence against those committed the gang-rape, the police chief said they would be tried in a special court and they could face punishment of not less than 20 years, or imprisonment for life till death, or even the death penalty.
The five accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code’s Sections 376 D (gang-rape), 323 (causing hurt), Section 5 (G) (gang penetrative sexual assault on child), read with Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as well as tge IPC’s 366 (kidnapping a woman) and 366 A (procuration of a minor girl) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
The sixth CCL was not involved in the rape but he kissed the victim in the car. He has been booked under the IPC’s Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323, and Section 9 (G) read with 10 of POCSO Act. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment.
On the videos circulated on social media, the Police Commissioner said the CCLs took the videos while kissing the girl inside the car and circulated it. Police came to know about it after Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raghunandan Rao released one such video clip at a press conference.
Giving a detailed sequence of events, he said main accused Saduddin Malik and one CCL misbehaved with the victim while attending a day-time party at a pub at Road Number 36 in Jubilee Hills.
CCTV footage revealed the CCLs followed the girl outside the pub. Four CCLs and the girl boarded the Mercedes to go to Concu Bakery on Road Number 14, Banjara Hills. Malik and four other CCLs boarded the Innova. While on the way to the bakery, the CCLs in the Mercedes forcibly kissed her, took videos and circulated them.
The two cars reached the bakery at 5.51pm. The victim alighted from the Mercedes and boarded the Innova. At 6.15pm, Malik and the five others, all CCLs, and the victim left in it. However, minutes later, one CCL came back to the bakery as he had some urgent work. Malik and four other CCLs took the Innova to Road number 44 behind Pedamma temple, parked it there and, then raped the girl.
The culprits later dropped the girl at the pub. The victim’s father reached there at 7.53pm to pick her up.
The case came to light only on May 31 after the victim’s father lodged a complaint with the police and the police recorded her statement the next day.
It was on March 20 that one boy living in Bengaluru planned to throw a daytime party in Hyderabad for friends ahead of reopening of schools. He contacted three friends in Hyderabad, who surveyed different pubs in the city and zeroed in on Insomnia Pub on Road Number 36 in posh Jubilee Hills.
Three boys on their Instagram page in April declared ‘Euphoria coming soon’. It was announced that it will be a non-alcohol and non-smoking party. Since the organisers were all minors, Osman Ali Khan, a major on their behalf made the booking after the pub management agreed to slash the ticket price from Rs1,200 to Rs900 per head. In the second week of May, the boys announced on Instagram that ‘Euphoria’ party will be held on May 28 at Insomnia Pub. The organisers continued collecting Rs 1,200 from those interested in attending the party. The number of participants crossed 150. The boy came from Bengaluru and paid Rs100,000 as advance to the pub.
The victim bought the ticket for Rs1,300 after being advised by a friend. They reached the pub at 1pm on May 28.
