Ashiana gang-rape case: No framing of charges due to strike

Lucknow, Mar 27: A court here today fixed April 9 as the next date of hearing in the 2005 sensational Ashiana gang-rape case due to strike by the district court lawyers. The court was to frame charges against Gaurav Shukla, the main accused in the rape case of a minor girl.

Shukla today appeared before the court, which has held that he was an adult at the time of committing the crime. "Additional District Judge of the fast track court Rajendra Singh has fixed April 9 as the next date of hearing as charges could not be framed due to strike by the lawyers," the victim's counsel Jalaj Gupta said.

After a 10-year-long legal battle, Additional District Judge had on March 11 termed the accused Shukla as an adult at the time when the 13-year-old girl was gang-raped by six persons in Ashiana locality here.

The court was of the opinion that March 14, 1987 was the original date of birth of the main accused, who is nephew of a former SP MLA. The juvenile justice board had on March 21, 2014 also termed the main accused as a major against whom he appealed in the sessions court saying that he was minor.

The incident occurred on May 2, 2005. The girl was kidnapped, gang-raped and brutally tortured.

PTI