Panel records Swiss gangrape victim statement in embassy

The woman was on her way to Agra from Orchha on a bicycle tour with her companion when the incident occurred. The couple were camping in the open near a forest area when about half-a-dozen armed men allegedly gangraped her,manhandled her companion and robbed them of their valuables.

“In accordance with the orders of the special court in Datia,where the trial is pending,a judicial commission headed by a metropolitan magistrate recorded the statements of the victims in New Delhi on May 28,” a Swiss embassy spokesperson said.

“The victims have now left India after participating in the necessary legal procedures. The judicial commission was set up on the request of the victims who want to cooperate in the pursuit of justice but are traumatised to travel back to the place of crime,” the spokesperson said,adding that the victims are “committed to pursue the case and have faith that the Indian judicial system will deliver justice’’.

The Datia police have filed a chargesheet against six men in a local court. The trial began on March 30.

Sources said the external affairs ministry facilitated the deposition of the woman. A commission headed by a metropolitan magistrate of the Patiala House courts,Akash Jain,was especially appointed to record her statement.

The six men accused in the case appeared through video-conference from the Datia collectorate. The government’s prosecutor and lawyers of the victim and the accused were also present in a special room where the court proceedings were conducted.

MEA sources said the Swiss embassy has been very sensitive about the incident as the gangrape of a Swiss diplomat in Delhi has remained unsolved for the last 10 years. This time,sources said,New Delhi acted with alacrity to ensure that the victim gets justice.