Accused in Patan rape case remanded 7 days in police custody

Patan, Feb 5 (UNI) A city court today remanded five teachers and a junior clerk, accused of raping a Primary Teachers Training College girl student, to seven days police custody.

Police had asked for ten days remand to gather forensic evidence from the accused and places of crime, but First Class Judicial Magistrate Barot granted seven days of remand this evening.

The teachers -- Manish Parmar, Ashwin Parmar, Mahendra Prajapati, Dr Atul Patel (PhD), Dr Kiran Patel (gold medallist), Udaysingh Vaghela (Jr clerk) -- were arrested and charged with section 376, 354 (rape) and 506 (threatening to murder) Indian Penal Code. One more person, Umraokhan Baloch, is also under police scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has ordered a Magisterial inquiry into the Patan gangrape case, leading to the arrest of six Government teachers yesterday for repeatedly raping a girl student of the Primary Teachers Training College.

Condemning the incident, Mr Modi expressed sympathy for the victim and her family. He said he would ensure that all the culprits were dealt with sternly so that an example is set in society.

Announcing an amount of Rs one lakh to the victim for showing courage to expose the culprits, he said the state government would take care of the victim's education and her mental and physical health.

Terming the incident as shameful, the Chief Minister said the state government suspended the teachers involved in the case as soon as the incident came to light.

The government also appointed six women teachers to ensure that the victim's education was not hampered in any manner due to the incident, he added.

The case, which came to light on February 1, had shocked the girl students in the state, who are demanding a stern action against the accused.

A day-long 'bandh' was also organised in Patan today to protest against the incident. All commercial establishments and academic institutions remained closed in the town.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has announced its plan to hold a state-wide agitation to condemn the incident and has demanded action against the culprits. It also alleged that law and order situation in the state had deteriorated.

UNI HT SSS LPB KP2318