Delhi Rape: Witness identifies culprits in Tihar Jail

, Dec 20: The test identification parade of accused in the Delhi gangrape of a 23-year-old women was held at

in New Delhi on Thursday, Dec 20.

Earlier, the main accused in the gangrape case, bus driver Ram Singh, refused to undergo a test identification parade.

A test identification parade is a procedure in which the alleged offender is brought before witnesses and victims for identification. The identification was done by the victim's male friend who was with her during the time of crime. He was also brutally beaten by the rapists and was admitted in hospital for treatment. He was later discharged.

Three of the accused made confessional statements before the magistrate on Wednesday. One of them, Mukesh Singh, was remanded in judicial custody while Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma were sent to 4 days' police custody.

The fifth accused has reportedly been arrested from Aurangabad in Bihar. Police officers quoted the bus driver Ram Singh, main accused in the case and brother of Mukesh, as saying that the victim bit his hand. He was under the influence of alcohol at that time. In a fit of rage, Ram Singh attacked not just the victim but her friend too with a rod.

What is identification parade of criminals

The identification of an offender is a key aspect of a criminal conviction. If an individual can be identified as the offender then this piece of evidence will be one of the first pieces used in a criminal trial with both the victim and any witnesses required to repeat the identification in front of the court.

The identification may be done by the victim of the crime or a witness if there are any available witnesses and in most cases both.

During a police identity parade, a line of suspects will be required to line up with either the victim or a witness able to view the parade form behind a screen. Often the potential suspects will be required to repeat a sentence which the victim or the witness will have heard. This will enable the victim or the witness to identify the offender both by sight and voice.

During a police identity parade, it will usually be the case that the police are aware of whom the suspect is due to their investigations and the identity parade will be used simply as confirmation that the suspect is in fact the offender. If this is the case then the other members of the identity parade may be police officers or simply people the police have picked off the street.

OneIndia News