Charge sheet filed in Manipal gang-rape case

The Manipal police on Thursday filed a 650-page charge sheet in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court here against five men in connection with the June kidnapping and gang-rape of a local MBBS student, hailing from Kerala.

Three men — Yogish Poojary, Hariprasad Poojary and Anand P — have been named as the prime accused. Police invoked Sections 366 (kidnapping a woman), 376D (rape) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation). Two others, Harindra and Balachandra, face charges of tampering with the evidence under Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen the offender) of the IPC.

Harindra is the brother of Hariprasad and Balachandra is Yogish’s brother.
Udupi SP, Dr Boralingaiah, told Deccan Herald the charge sheet listed evidence collected during the investigation. In addition, it mentions forensic evidence procured from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Bangalore.

The charge sheet was filed by the CPI of Manipal police station, Sadananda Thippannanavar. The investigation was completed long ago but the chargesheet was delayed as the FSL report was received only four days ago, Thippannanavar said. Boralingaiah refused to disclose further details about the charge sheet.

Deccan Herald, however, has learnt the charge sheet lists witness accounts, statements of the victim and the accused, besides the forensic evidence.

The victim, a fourth-year MBBS student at Manipal University, was abducted in an autorickshaw and raped by three men on the night of June 20/21. The incident caused widespread outrage and was followed by a series of protests.

Hariprasad was arrested on June 27. Anand, who unsuccessfully attempted suicide, was apprehended on June 30. Balachandra and Harindra were arrested on July 2. Yogish, who also tried to end his life on June 27, was officially arrested on July 11 when he was discharged from hospital.

The victim was discharged from hospital on July 4.