Hyderabad, July 27 (UNI) Four minors in the sensational Jubilee Hills gang-rape case have been released on bail. The Juvenile Justice Board on Tuesday granted them bail. They were released from the Juvenile Home in Saidabad.
The fifth minor, the son of a legislator, remained at Juvenile Home. His bail petition is likely to come up for hearing in Telangana High Court later in the day. Saduddin Malik, the only adult in the case, also remained in jail as his bail petition was already dismissed. Four children in conflict with the law (CCLs) have come out after remaining in custody for nearly 50 days. The Juvenile Justice Board granted them bail after their counsels contended that they were entitled to bail as an investigation into the case has been completed by the police.
The Jubilee Hills police have completed identified parade, recording the statement of the survivor under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the magistrate, DNA test, and forensic examination of the car in which the minor victim was gang-raped by five of the accused. The prosecution opposed the bail plea on the ground that their release could hamper the investigation which was still underway. The Juvenile Justice Board ordered the release of the four CCLs on the condition that they will cooperate with the investigation officers, and record their attendance before the district probation officer, Hyderabad, every month. They were also directed to furnish two sureties each of Rs 5,000. The Board on June 22 dismissed bail petitions while agreeing with the argument by the prosecution that in view of the serious nature of the offense they should not be granted bail. Six accused, including a major, were arrested earlier last month for gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car on May 28 in the up-scale Jubilee Hills.
They had trapped the victim after a daytime party at a bar and after offering a lift sexually assaulted her. Five accused including, the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), have been charged with gang rape while the sixth accused, who is the son of a legislator of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), is facing molestation charges. Saduddin Malik and four minors have been booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 376 D (gang rape), 323 (causing hurt), and Section 5 (G) (gang penetrative sexual assault on the child).
