16 Dec gang rape accused wants CM as defence witness
18 July 2013 11:43 PM GMT
An accused in the 16 December gang rape trial on Wednesday sought permission of a special court to make Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit a defence witness in the case. After the court concluded recording of statement of all the accused, Akshay Thakur filed a list of defence witnesses before additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna to prove his innocence. Producing the list before the court, Akshay's counsel A P Singh said the Delhi Chief Minister should be called as a defence witness as she had complained of interference by the Delhi police officers in recording of the 23-year-old gangrape victim's statement by the SDM in December last year.
‘We want to call Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit as a defence witness to prove the controversy regarding the false and planted statement of the victim,’ Singh said. Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan opposed Akshay's request saying the counsel is doing it to get publicity as the SDM was already cross-examined extensively by them.
‘There is no need for calling so many witnesses. Just to establish that the accused was not present in Delhi, I think one or two of the family members is enough,’ he said. The court has reserved its order for Thursday.
‘We want to call Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit as a defence witness to prove the controversy regarding the false and planted statement of the victim,’ Singh said. Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan opposed Akshay's request saying the counsel is doing it to get publicity as the SDM was already cross-examined extensively by them.
‘There is no need for calling so many witnesses. Just to establish that the accused was not present in Delhi, I think one or two of the family members is enough,’ he said. The court has reserved its order for Thursday.
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