2009 Noida gangrape case transferred to Delhi

The proceedings in a Noida gangrape case of 2009 began on Tuesday in a Delhi Court which directed the city police to ensure the safety and security of the victim's close friend and key witness, pursuing the case.

The trial of the case had been shifted from a Noida court to one in Delhi in the national capital on the Supreme Court's order after the victim's friend Amit Pawar had approached it, fearing threat to his life and facing pressure to withdraw the case.

A 24-year-old MBA student was gangraped by eleven youths on January 5, 2009 when she was returning from the Great India Place Mall in Noida with Pawar.

Pawar, who had filed the complaint with the Noida Police had alleged the accused, who were returning home after a cricket match, had forced him to stop his car by brandishing cricket bats. After he stopped the car, they got in the car and drove it around near urban Noida village Garhi Chaukhandi and took turns to rape his friend.

The accused in the case are Pushpender, Srikant, Sanjay, Gautam, Sudhir alias Tony, Little, Anil, Omkar and Pushpender, Sashikant and Golu, all residents of Garhi Chaukhandi. All of them are on bail.

When the case was today brought before District Judge Sunita Gupta, it was assigned to the court of Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kapoor, who fixed the matter for hearing on April 4.

The judge also directed police to ensure safety and security of witness (Pawar) in the meantime considering that the case is at the evidence stage and the complainant (Pawar) is the main witness.

The ASJ passed the order on Pawar's plea for protection and has also asked the police to file a report by March 2.

Pawar had filed a plea for his protection saying the accused persons are of criminal nature and he apprehends threat to his life and limb from them.