US woman gang-rape: Cops find it hard to identify 5th accused

The fifth person accused of gang-raping a 25-year-old American woman at a five-star hotel in the upmarket Cannaught Place area here has not yet been identified, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

“The four accused could be identified, but we are not able to ascertain the identity of the fifth accused. None of (them) have a brother whose presence can be determined in the hotel premises,” said a senior police officer.

“The US national doesn’t remember his appearance otherwise we could have gotten a sketch made,” he added.

However, a team of psychologists and psychiatrists had been assisting her recall the details of the incident.

The four accused — tour guide, driver, cleaner and hotel staffer — were arrested by police on Monday and sent to two- day judicial custody by a city court on Tuesday.

Their mobile phones have been seized and sent to forensic lab in Hyderabad for examination.

During an identification parade at Tihar Jail on Tuesday, the US national managed to identify three of the accused but could not confirm the identity of the hotel staffer.

She arrived here a few days ago to join the investigation and recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate, reiterating the charges made in her complaint earlier this year.

Before her arrival, she said she was not satisfied with the probe and wants to come to India to identify the accused.

On December 8, the tourist guide was questioned by the police, who had identified him and contacted him while he was in Nepal. The tour guide has denied his involvement and told the police the victim had given him positive feedbacks and an internal inquiry by his travel agency hasn’t found him guilty.

The woman has alleged that she was raped by the men for two days and the accused made a video of the act, threatening to make it public if she reported the matter to anyone.