Forensic evidence, 50 witness statements key part of charge sheet in rape of 16-yr-old in bus: Delhi Police in charge sheet

New DelhiForensic evidence, including biological samples, and statements from 50 witnesses form a key part of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against two accused in the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a bus on August 4, officers aware of the developments said on Tuesday

New Delhi

A senior officer aware of the investigation said the charge sheet was filed on September 18 and the court took cognisance of the same on September 24. (Representative photo)

Forensic evidence, including biological samples, and statements from 50 witnesses form a key part of the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against two accused in the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a bus on August 4, officers aware of the developments said on Tuesday.

A senior officer aware of the investigation said the charge sheet was filed on September 18 and the court took cognisance of the same on September 24. The accused, the bus driver and conductor, have been charged under sections 70 (gang rape) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said.

“The charge sheet is around 400 pages and includes statements of 50 witnesses. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has also been attached, along with the other evidence collected during the investigation,” the officer said.

On August 4, the victim, a Class 11 student from Mainpuri, reportedly boarded the bus at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida, after the conductor told her that it was headed towards Sector 63 in Noida. Police said the girl was allegedly raped by the driver and conductor after the bus started moving.

The senior officer said that the charge sheet also details other exhibits collected from the bus, including a piece of cloth and fingerprints.

Among the statements collected were those of public witnesses, including a security guard and owners of two bus repair shops in Surajpur and Malakpur in Uttar Pradesh where the bus was taken before Pari Chowk, police said. The statement of a victim’s cousin, whom she had intended to visit in Noida Sector 63, was also recorded, along with those of her uncle, the owner of the bus and officials of the Child Welfare Committee, after their interaction with the girl, police said.

Two CCTV recordings were also documented, officers said. One showed the girl boarding the bus at Pari Chowk, while another captured her being dropped at Kashmere Gate in the early hours of August 4. Police seized the digital video recorder (DVR) and followed the required procedure to preserve the footage as evidence; details of this have been attached, they said.