DNA samples of five accused match victim’s swab,cops say ‘strong proof’

A minor,who was the first to be arrested in the case,was Friday referred to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Dongri,after his grandmother furnished his birth certificate issued by BMC. In their remand application Friday,police said the suspect was a juvenile. They had earlier considered him as

an adult.

After the accused were produced before the Esplanade Court and court proceedings were completed Friday,some women activists attempted to manhandle the accused while they were being escorted to the Crime Branch headquarters. Some women also hurled eggs at the accused,which hit the police vans. The group,which was detained for some time,dispersed later.

Earlier,rejecting the “insubstantial attempt” made by the defence lawyer appearing for accused Mohammad Qasim that his client is a juvenile and therefore should be sent to JJB,a metropolitan magistrate said there was no need to send Qasim for a medical test as it was clear that he was not a minor.

The court said Qasim’s mother,too,wants to take a similar defence for her son. Qasim,who was arrested in a case in 2012,was shown as an adult then. His mother had apparently not challenged the police move then. The magistrate observed,“The mother did not make any attempt to collect any material,particularly the documents,to show the birth date of her son. Such a lapse does not appear to be bonafide.”

When the magistrate asked Qasim about his age,he said he is 20 years old. Qasim and two other accused,Siraj Rehman Khan and Vijay Jadhav,were remanded in police custody till September 5 Friday. The other two suspects were not represented by any lawyer .

Prosecutor Kiran Bendbhar said,“The accused have failed to cooperate with the police and custody is essential.”