My sons are being made scapegoats, says accused’s mother

NEW DELHI: The parents of Danish and Ashu — who were arrested on charges of rape and murder in two separate cases, claimed their sons were being framed by the police

NEW DELHI: The parents of Danish and Ashu — who were arrested on charges of rape and murder in two separate cases, claimed their sons were being framed by the police as they had the pressure to arrest someone.

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“Danish gave a shoulder to her bier. He was there till she was cremated. Had he killed her, he would have gone underground and not helped the family with her last rites,” Mohammad Ahzaz Ahmad, Danish’s father said. Danish is accused of raping and killing a 16-year-old girl.

Speaking to HT, Danish’s mother Parveen said, “My son was with his father at our workshop when the rape happened. How could he be at two places at the same time? The police came to our house around 4 pm and asked for Danish and Ashu. They then went to Usmanpur, at our workshop and arrested Ashu. They called Danish on his phone and asked him to meet them. When Danish went to see them, they arrested him.”

“If Danish was at fault, would he go to the police himself ?.. They dragged him to the police station and beat him up. They forced him to confess something he was not even involved in,” she said.

Parveen said that Danish even participated in the protest held in the area demanding arrest of the accused in the case.

The family also alleged that the police detained the two brothers, beat them up and forced them to sign the confessions. “Why did the girl who alleged that Ashu raped her come forward now,” Parveen said.

The police, however, said Danish participated in the last rites of the girl to fool the cop.

By moving around with the family, he wanted to assure that he was not zeroed down as a suspect. However the neighbours and friends of the deceased had told the police that Danish had been harassing the girl for sexual favours, following which he was detained.

A case against Danish and Ashu was registered under sections of rape, stalking, causing hurt, criminal intimidation and POCSO Act, after another victim surfaced claiming Ashu had stalked and raped her too.

Danish and Ashu, police said had earlier been involved in cases of petty thefts and fights.

Sources said that sections of rape will be added to the FIR once the autopsy report is out.