Gang rape: Friend cross-examined, will continue tomorrow

The 28-year-old male friend of the girl and the sole eyewitness to the brutal assault and gang rape of the  23-year-old girl in a moving bus, was on Wednesday cross examined by the defence in the fast-track court trying the case.

 The youth, a software engineer, had on Tuesday testified as a witness for the prosecution in-camera proceedings against the five accused, who have pleaded not guilty to charges, including rape and murder, framed against them.

The victim's friend was brought before Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna in a wheelchair because of the injuries inflicted on him in the heinous attack on December 16, 2012. His is cross-examination will continue on Thursday.

The details of the proceedings cannot be reported by the media as the court has imposed a ban on it under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Apart from the victim's friend, three others were to give evidence. However, they could not do it today due to paucity of time. The girl had died on December 29, 2012 in a Singapore hospital as a result of the grievous injuries she had suffered when she was sexually assaulted by six people, one of them a juvenile.

Before she had died, the girl had recorded her testimony before a magistrate. Her statement along with that of her friend's will be crucial for the prosecution.

The court on February 2, had framed charges against five adults accused in the case under various sections of the IPC for offences which include gang rape, murder, attempt to murder, unnatural offences, dacoity, conspiracy and kidnapping.

The police on January 3 had filed its initial chargesheet against bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Singh.