By IANS,
Chandigarh : A court here Monday framed charges of gang-rape against five young men for sexually assaulting a German tourist after taking her from an upscale hotel here September this year.
The gang-rape and criminal intimidation charges have been made out against Pankaj, Manvir Singh Jolly, Harpreet Singh, Sompal and Sukhwinder Singh. All of them belong to neighbouring Haryana.
The charges were framed in the court of additional district and sessions judge R.S. Attri.
The five men had allegedly taken the German tourist in the black Scorpio SUV from the parking of the upscale Taj Hotel here in Sector 17 late Sep 28 night. She was taken to a farmhouse in Haryana’s Ambala district, 60 km from here, and was dropped in Sector 20 here the next evening.
The German tourist, who flew back to her country after her medical examination, had told the police that she had been molested by the youth. She had come here with a Germany-based Indian friend to attend his wedding.
The victim had gone to the Taj Hotel around 2 a.m. for coffee after having food and drinks at another place.
However, Chandigarh police officials said that the forensic examination of the victim had confirmed that she had been raped.
After receiving the official medical report from the Central forensic sciences laboratory (CFSL) here, the Chandigarh police changed the first information report (FIR) from molestation to that of rape.
The victim earlier told the police that she came out to the hotel parking to smoke when she was accosted by a youth. She said she wanted to try driving the SUV of the youth but when she was going to do that, four others joined them and sat in the vehicle. They later took her away in the SUV to various places in Haryana before reaching the farm house.
She was brought back here in a Maruti car by the main accused, Pankaj, and dropped near her friend’s house.
The police expect the victim to be personally present in the court on the next date of hearing on Jan 16. The facility of a translator is likely to be provided to her.
She was taken to Germany by her father who came here after the incident and was assisted by officials of the German embassy in New Delhi.