Delhi park gang rape: Police prepare 500-page chargesheet against three accused

• Delhi Police expect to file a chargesheet exceeding 500 pages within a week against three men accused of gang rape.

• Investigators are relying on CCTV footage, forensic findings, identification proceedings and statements from nearly 60 witnesses.

• All three accused remain in judicial custody; a special public prosecutor has been appointed.

Delhi Police are preparing a chargesheet running to more than 500 pages against three men accused of gang rape at a southeast Delhi park, with officials expecting to submit it within a week.

Investigators have assembled CCTV footage, forensic material, witness accounts and judicial identification proceedings as part of the case. A senior police officer said the chargesheet would contain approximately 75 pages setting out the prosecution’s case, statements from nearly 60 witnesses and around 50 supporting documents.

Senior officers at Delhi Police headquarters are monitoring the investigation, and a special public prosecutor has been appointed to handle the prosecution.

The proposed chargesheet will include time-stamped CCTV recordings and still images that investigators say show the accused arriving at the park and their subsequent movements. The footage includes one accused travelling on a motorcycle and recordings tracing their journeys back to their homes, the officer said.

Police examined footage from more than 300 cameras in the surrounding area and along approach and exit routes to identify the suspects and reconstruct their movements.

Forensic evidence includes samples collected at the scene by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory and clothing worn by the accused. Records of a judicial test identification parade will also form part of the evidence.

The accused’s mobile phones have been sent for forensic examination. Investigators found that chat histories had been deleted and are attempting to recover potentially relevant communications, according to the officer.

Police said their priority was to document the evidence comprehensively and support the effective conduct of the trial.

The three accused — Asif, Hemant and Mahesh — were arrested during the investigation and remain in judicial custody. One was injured in what police described as retaliatory firing after he allegedly shot at a police team.

According to investigators, the accused approached the survivor and a companion at the park, threatened them with knives and sexually assaulted her.

The survivor subsequently helped police identify locations relevant to the investigation and assisted forensic personnel in locating evidence.

The accused have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to gang rape, criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation. They also face provisions concerning aggravated penetrative sexual assault and abetment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Police said they remained in regular contact with the survivor and were taking measures to protect her safety and security.

With PTI inputs