Police file chargesheet in Mumbai photojournalist rape case

The victim and her colleague have identified the two men as Vijay Jadhav,18,and Salim Ansari,27.

Almost a month after a photojournalist was gangraped in Shakti Mills,the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Thursday filed a 508-page chargesheet before the Esplanade court against the five accused arrested in the case.

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The victims statement before a magistrate and the statement of her male colleague who was with her at the time of the incident form a vital part of the chargesheet.

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According to the statement of her colleague,now a prime witness in the case,they had gone to Shakti Mills on August 22 for an assignment. The desolate mill had no clear access and they stood outside for a few minutes,before finding a way in. They were stopped by two men who told them there was a better access road ahead,he said.

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The victim and her colleague have identified the two men as Vijay Jadhav,18,and Salim Ansari,27. In his statement,the colleague has mentioned three other men Mohammad Kasim Hafiz Shaikh,21,Siraj Rehman Khan,24,and a 16- year-old who joined the duo. He said the accused tied him up with three belts his,the victims,and one belonging to an accused and left him in one side of the mill,while the victim was taken inside,where the accused allegedly raped her.

At regular intervals,I heard her shriek, said the colleague in his statement. He was told that she was being inquired and that she was not co-operating. After all five men had allegedly raped her,the first rapist,identified as Shaikh,once again raped the victim.

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According to the victims statement,when she cried,Kasim threatened her with broken glass and said,Main jaisa bolta hun waisa chupchap kar,nahin to tujhe aur tere dost ko yahin maar daalunga. Tereko maloom nahin kitna kameena hun. Tu pehli ladki nahin hain,humne kai ladkiyon ka rape kiya hain. Mera koi baal baka nahin kar sakta (Do as I say without protest,or I will kill you and your friend right here. You dont know the kind of rogue I am. Youre not the first girl,we have raped many other girls. Nobody can harm me).

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The chargesheet has the statements of as many as 86 witnesses,along with the victims medical report,22 DNA test reports and 26 seized items from the scene of the crime.