Chargesheet filed against trio

Park street gangrape Trial to begin from March 2, accused plead not guilty.

Nearly a year after an Anglo-Indian woman was allegedly gangraped in a moving car after she took a lift at Park Street in Kolkata on the night of February 5, 2012, a fast-track city court on Tuesday framed charges against the three accused — Nasir Khan, Sumit Bajaj and Ruman Khan alias Nisad Alam.

Two other accused — Kader Khan and Mohammed Ali — are, however, still absconding.

While Nasir and Ruman have been chargesheeted for gangrape, criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and common intention, Sumit will be tried for gangrape and criminal conspiracy. Madhuchanda Basu, the judge of the third fast-track court, dropped other three charges against Sumit, who was allegedly driving the car, saying there was no sufficient evidence to prosecute him under those IPC sections.

The counsels of the accused, however, pleaded not guilty. Ashoke Bakshi, the counsel of Nasir said that he did not oppose the framing of charges as the trial should commence soon.

The court also turned down special public prosecutor Sarbani Roy's plea to defer the trial for 15 days. The trial will now begin from March 2.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had denied bail to Sumit and Nasir.

The trio had been arrested soon after the incident and has been in jail since then.

After the victim, a 37-year-old single mother of two, was allegedly gangraped, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee courted controversy by dubbing the incident as "cooked-up to malign her government". However, a police team led by then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Damayanti Sen cracked the case and apprehended three of the accused. Sen was later transferred as DIG (training) to Barrackpore, a posting considered low-profile in police circles.

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