Hyderabad car gang rape: All six accused, including MLA's son, held

Hyderabad: The son and another relative of a MLA of the AIMIM are among six accused arrested by Hyderabad police in the sensational case of a gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car on May 28.

While four accused were already arrested, the police on Tuesday night announced the arrest of two others, including the MLA's son.

While five accused, including a major, were involved in penetrative sex with the victim, the sixth, a juvenile and son of a MLA, has been booked for molestation.

Four juveniles involved in gang rape include the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who heads a government body, and a relative of the MIM MLA. Police found the crime was also committed in an Innova vehicle hired for government duty. The vehicle was later seized from the farm house of the TRS leader.

The police had earlier said that out of five accused, three were juveniles. Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, however, told a news conference on Tuesday night that one of the accused, who was earlier reported to be a major, was in fact a month short of 18.

He refused to reveal the names of Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) or their parents. "You can draw your own conclusions," he said when asked if the MLA's son is among those arrested on Tuesday.

Stating that they have strong evidence against those committed the gang rape, the police chief said they would be tried in a special court and they could face punishment for not less than 20 years, or imprisonment for life till death, or even the death penalty.

The five accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code's Sections 376 D (gang rape), 323 (causing hurt), Section 5 (G) (gang penetrative sexual assault on child), read with Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as well as tge IPC's 366 (kidnapping a woman) and 366 A (procuration of a minor girl) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

The sixth CCL was not involved in the rape but he kissed the victim in the car. He has been booked under the IPC's Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323, and Section 9 (G) read with 10 of POCSO Act. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment.

On the videos circulated on social media, the Police Commissioner said the CCLs took the videos while kissing the girl inside the car and circulated it. Police came to know about it after BJP MLA Raghunandan Rao released one such video clip at a press conference.

Giving a detailed sequence of events, he said main accused Saduddin Malik and one CCL misbehaved with the victim while attending a day-time party at a pub at Road Number 36 in Jubilee Hills.

CCTV footage revealed the CCLs followed the girl outside the pub. Four CCLs and the girl boarded the Mercedes to go to Concu Bakery on Road Number 14, Banjara Hills. Malik and four other CCLs boarded the Innova. While on the way to the bakery, the CCLs in the Mercedes forcibly kissed her, took videos and circulated them.

The two cars reached the bakery at 5.51 p.m. The victim alighted from the Mercedes and boarded the Innova. At 6.15 p.m., Malik and the five others, all CCLs, and the victim left in it. However, minutes later, one CCL came back to the bakery as he had some urgent work. Malik and four other CCLs took the Innova to Road number 44 behind Pedamma temple, parked it there and, then raped the girl by rotation.

The Innova later came to the pub and dropped the victim. The victim's father reached there at 7.53 p.m. to pick her up.

The case came to light only on May 31 after the victim's father lodged a complaint with the police and the police recorded her statement the next day.