Delhi police gets praise from court

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Delhi police Tuesday came in for special praise for using scientific investigation techniques in the probe into the December 16 gangrape case by a city court which convicted the four men after a fast track trial.

“Lastly, I also feel it necessary to mention the professional acumen with which the Delhi police investigated the case especially the way they made use of the scientific tools. I hope this would be replicated in all other cases,” additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna said delivering his 237-page judgement in the case that shook the nation’s conscience.

While referring to the court’s observations, joint commissioner of police (south-west) Vivek Gogia said the case has started a new chapter of systematic evidence gathering.

“A case can take less or more time but this is a new chapter of professionalism by police, scientific agencies and hospitals,” Gogia said.

Gogia said he has met the family of the 23-year-old victim were also satisfied with their handling of the case.

“I have also spoken to the victim’s family, they have expressed satisfaction. Delhi police is committed to discharge its professional duty during the later stages of trial in this case as well,” Gogia said.

Gogia, who had supervised the probe case, said, “In this case, we have lead evidence in four steps, first is physical identification in the court, second is identification before the magistrate, third, identification through technical data and fourth was identification through scientific data.”

Asked whether the scientific techniques of investigation used in the case could help nail other such accused, Gogia said, “If such evidence is available, like bite marks in this one, we always try and do that. It depends on the availability of evidence.”

The senior police official also lauded the efforts of the home ministry which ensured that evidences could be brought from Singapore — where the victim was taken for treatment — and produced in the court.

“Due to the efforts of home ministry, we could legally bring the electronic evidence from Singapore and produce it under the Evidence Act before the court which was accepted by it and taken on record,” said Gogia.

Asked whether women are safe in the city today, Gogia said, “I spoke about professionalism, our professionalism is not confined to prosecution in one case, it is also about preventing such cases. A number of steps have been taken (to ensure women’s safety) which you all are aware of.”

Gogia claimed that among all the cases of crime against women registered by Delhi police, more than 80 per cent of the perpetrators are arrested within the first week.

On the night of December 16, 2012, Ram Singh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan, Mukesh and a juvenile had gangraped the girl in a bus after luring her and her 28-year-old male friend, who was also assaulted on board the vehicle that was later found to be plying illegally on Delhi roads.

The victim’s friend, a software engineer, had fractured his limbs in the incident. The girl succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at a Singapore hospital.

The court relied on the dying declaration of the victim, forensic evidence, including finger prints, dental models, DNA samples and other medical reports of the convicts, electronic evidence and the statements given by them to the police after their arrests.

The judge also said that the presence of the convicts in the bus in which the crime was committed has been established through the location of their mobile networks.