The Juvenile Justice Board on Wednesday, June 22, dismissed bail petitions of four minors in Jubilee Hills gangrape case in Hyderabad. The Board agreed with the argument by the police that in view of the serious nature of the offence, they should not be granted bail. The counsel of the four minors had submitted his arguments in support of the bail pleas. The police countered the same saying since the case is at the investigating stage, if they are released on bail, they may try to influence the witnesses. The court was also told that the minors' parents, who hold politically influential positions in society, may try to hamper the investigation.
Police arrested six, of whom five are minors, earlier this month for gangrape of a 17-year-old girl in a car on May 28 in the upscale Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. A bail petition on behalf of the fifth minor is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday, June 23. The girl was attending a party at the Amnesia & Insomnia pub in Jubilee Hills, hosted by two of her friends. At the pub, she met a group of boys who are the suspects in the rape case. According to police, four of them along with the survivor, whom they befriended at a pub, boarded a car (red-coloured Mercedes Benz) and headed to a pastry shop. Later, they boarded another car (Innova), which was being driven by another friend of the group, where the survivor was sexually assaulted.
The issue assumed political colour, with the opposition BJP alleging the involvement of ruling TRS and AIMIM leaders in the matter and taking exception to an alleged delay in arresting the accused.
Eighteen-year-old Saduddin Malik and four minors have been booked under 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, 366 (kidnapping a woman) and 366 A (procuration of a minor girl) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act .
The sixth minor, meanwhile, allegedly molested the girl and has been booked under 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 and Section 9 (G) read with 10 of POCSO Act of the IPC. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment.