Danish gangrape: Court abates proceedings against one accused

A Delhi court today abated the proceedings against a 55-year-old man, one of the accused in a case of gangrape of a Danish woman here, after police informed it about his death in Tihar Jail.
Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava told Additional Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar-II that a report has been received from Tihar Jail authorities regarding death of Shyam Lal and proceedings against him should be abated.
Recently, the court had allowed prosecution's plea to place on record the original medical and potency test report of Lal, who had claimed to be impotent, and to examine three doctors in this regard.

During the hearing, the prosecutor also submitted that with the demise of Lal, now there is no need to examine the doctors concerned as their testimonies were related to his potency report and the case be listed for final arguments.
The defence counsel, however, said he would move an application in the case.
The court then fixed the case for further proceedings on March 3.

The court had earlier said though there was a "lapse" on the part of the prosecution in not placing on record the medical records for two years during the pendency of the case, the plea cannot be discarded merely on the ground that police failed to trace the documents at the relevant time.

According to the prosecution, the nine accused, all vagabonds, had allegedly robbed and gangraped the Danish tourist at knife-point on the night of January 14, 2014, after leading her to a secluded spot close to the Divisional Railway Officers' Club near New Delhi Railway Station.
All nine accused were arrested. The five adult accused - Mahendra alias Ganja (26), Mohd Raja (22), Raju (23), Arjun (21), Raju Chakka (22) - are in judicial custody and facing trial.
Lal, who was also in judicial custody, died recently. Three other accused are juveniles against whom inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board is in progress.