Phones of all five gangrape accused found

S Ahmed Ali TNN

September 4, 2013

Mumbai: The city crime branch on Monday claimed to have recovered three mobile phones of the accused in the Shakti Mill gang rape case. Police had earlier recovered phones of two of the five accused, Qasim Bangali and Salim Ansari.
    Deputy commissioner of police Satya Narayan said the mobile phones were valuable as evidence to establish the fact that all accused were present at the scene of crime. Sources said police have already sought the CDR of all the accused. Ansari had clicked a picture of the survivor threatening to circulate it if she reported the crime. Police on Thursday said they will not pursue police custody of the five accused and will instead seek judicial custody. “We have almost completed the investigation,” said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police.
    On Monday, the crime branch wrote to the court requesting the appointment of a magistrate and independent panchas (witnesses) to carry out an identification parade of four accused inside Arthur Road jail. A similar procedure will be followed for the juvenile accused at Dongri remand home.
    A12-year-old boy who led cops to the first arrest is likely to be made star witness. “The witness is a minor but said in a statement that all the accused regularly frequented the place,” said an official.

Four of the Shakti Mill gangrape accused