Delhi gangrape: Male friend 'identifies' accused in Tihar jail

One of the four accused in the brutal rape of a young paramedical student was on Thursday "identified" by the victim's friend during a Test Identification Parade (TIP) at Tihar jail in Delhi.

One of the four accused in the brutal rape of a young paramedical student was on Thursday "identified" by the victim's friend during a Test Identification Parade (TIP) at Tihar jail in Delhi.

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The 23-year-old victim's male friend, an engineer in a software company identified Mukesh during TIP, a senior police official said.

Eleven people were paraded before the victim's friend during TIP which started at 3:05pm and ended in a hour. "The procedures ended by 4 PM," the official said.

Out of the four accused, only Mukesh had agreed to TIP when he was produced before a court here on Wednesday. Other accused -- Ram Singh, Pawan and Vinay -- had refused to undergo TIP.

According to the official, the positive identification of Mukesh by the friend, who was also beaten up by the gang before the men allegedly raped the girl, is a shot in the arm of the prosecution as it would help them nail the other culprits.

Police have invoked the stringent charges of attempt to murder and destruction of evidence against the accused.

Investigators had earlier pressed charges against them under sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 376 (2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 394 (hurting in committing robbery) and 34 (common intention) of IPC.