Shakti Mill rape verdict today

The sessions court here is on Thursday likely to pronounce the verdicts in cases related to two gang-rapes that took place at the Shakti Mill premises here last year. “The court is likely to pronounce the verdicts today,” said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

The first case pertains to the gang-rape of a 22-year-old magazine photojournalist who had gone to the deserted Shakti Mills compound in central Mumbai with a male colleague on an assignment on August 22, 2013. 

Five men (including a juvenile, whose case was separated) have been accused of raping her there after assaulting her colleague.

The accused — Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Siraj Rehman (and the minor boy), are charged with rape, conspiracy, common intention, unnatural sex and offences under the Information Technology Act.

The other case is of an 18-year-old telephone operator who was allegedly gang-raped by five persons (including three of the accused in the first case) on the same premises on July 31 last year.