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Regular-article-logo Friday, 19 April 2024

High court will not intervene in Park Street rape case trial

One of the accused Ali Khan filed a petition seeking speedy trial

Our Legal Reporter Calcutta Published 09.12.19, 09:08 PM
Calcutta High Court

Calcutta High Court (Shutterstock)

The high court on Monday declined to intervene in the Park Street rape trial saying there had been no delay in the sessions court proceedings.

One of the accused, Ali Khan alias Azahar Ali, recently filed a petition seeking speedy trial. Hearing the case on Monday, Justice Jay Sengupta observed that at this juncture the high court should not interfere in the case.

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Moving the petition on Ali’s behalf, counsel Phiroze Edulji said: “My client was arrested in 2016. He has since been languishing in jail. The process of trial has not yet started. He has a right to ask for a speedy trial.”

The lawyer said on March 19, on the basis of Ali’s prayer, the high court had asked the sessions court to complete the trial within three months. “Three months have passed. Nothing has been done yet. Moreover, the judge who was supposed to hold the trial will retire soon and the trial would get disturbed,” the lawyer said.

After going through the case records, Justice Sinha held that no delay in trial had been proved.

On February 6, 2012, five men had allegedly raped a woman inside a moving car after they offered to drop her home from a night spot on Park Street. Calcutta police had arrested three youths — Naser Khan, Ruman Khan and Sumit Bajaj — but two others could not be traced. Four years later, in September 2016, Kadir Khan and Ali Khan were arrested from Ghaziabad.

Nine months later, the city sessions court convicted Naser, Ruman and Sumit of gang rape. The trial court awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment to the three and fined them Rs 100,000 each. Kadir and Ali are facing trial.

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