Judgement next week in Danish woman gang-rape case

A 54-year-old Danish woman, who was allegedly gang-raped in central Delhi two years ago, is finally hoping to get justice when the judgement is pronounced next week.

The woman was allegedly raped by six men and three juveniles near New Delhi railway station on January 14, 2014. On Wednesday, Tis Hazari Court reserved judgement in the case for January 21. Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja gave the order after hearing final arguments by the prosecution and the counsel for accused.

“Arguments of defence concluded. The case is directed to be listed for judgement on January 21. Defence is also at liberty to file written arguments, if any, within two days,” the judge said.

The counsel for the accused alleged that there were deficiencies in the prosecution evidence and several missing links in the story of police. Police, however, said that a clear case is made out against all accused.

The six adult accused – Mahendra, 26, Mohammad Raja, 22, Raju, 23, Arjun, 21, Raju, 22, and Shyam Lal, 55 – are in judicial custody. An inquiry by the Juvenile Justice Board is also in progress against the three juveniles.

Special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava told Deccan Herald that the victim had initially identified only four of the accused.

“She was not sure as she returned to Denmark a day after the incident and came to India after a long time,” Shrivastava said. The woman had identified Mahendra as the one who threatened her with a knife when another man was raping her.

Shrivastava added that the woman had also tried to mislead the accused into believing that she was infected with HIV. “She had pleaded and threatened of AIDS,” he said.

The Danish woman regularly flies to the capital for hearings and is expected to be in the court next week with a Danish police officer. She had filed a complaint with Delhi Police, but refused to undergo a medical examination.

She left for Denmark on January 15, 2014, and a medical examination was conducted after she reported the matter with police there.