The lawyer for one of the accused did not cross-examine her saying she is already in deep pain.
The mother of the 23-year-old paramedical student, who was gangraped and assaulted in a moving bus, today deposed before the court of Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna. After her cross-examination was over, she urged the judge with folded hands to do justice to her daughter.
“Judge sahab, meri beti ko insaaf dilaiye (secure justice to my daughter),” she prayed to the court. During the proceedings, advocate V K Anand, appearing for accused Mukesh, did not cross-examine her saying, “she is already in deep pain and asking her a question related to her daughter may make her more depressed.” “I do not want to ask any question on behalf of my client. I can understand the pain of a mother...,” Anand said.
When the counsel for other three accused started to cross examine the witness, the judge requested them to be “polite” with the woman and ask relevant questions. “Don't ask questions which may hurt her sentiments,” the judge said.
In her deposition, the victim's mother said that on December 16, “my daughter left the house at 4 pm informing me that she had to make some purchases and would also watch a movie. When she left the house she was carrying her mobile phone.”
She said when the victim did not return home till 9 pm, she made calls on her mobile phone but it was switched off and she and her husband were very worried.
“At about 11-11:15 pm, I received a call from the PCR informing me that some incident had happened with my daughter and I was asked to come to Safdarjung Hospital immediately. I along with my husband rushed to the hospital and there I found my daughter, admitted in emergency. I could not talk to her as she was being taken for operation. We stayed at the hospital during her treatment.”
The victim's mother also said she along with her husband and two sons went to Singapore with the victim on the night of December 26, 2012 and reached there on December 27. She said her daughter was not able to speak on the night of December 26, before she was taken to Singapore and the last time she had a talk with her was on the night of December 25. She said the victim died on December 29 and they returned to India on December 30, 2012 and the coffin was handed over to them at the Delhi Airport.
The girl's mother was cross-examined by the counsel for accused Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta. In her cross-examination, to a question, she said her daughter used to go for movies with the complainant (the male friend) even prior to the night of the incident and she was aware of it.
She also said that the victim was pursuing paramedical course in Dehradun and had come to Delhi in November 2012 to spend her vacation with the family.
To another question, the victim's mother said, “I know the complainant for the last two years. I had talked to him over phone prior to the incident.”
Meanwhile, a CFSL official also deposed before the court today. He testified that the video footage procured from the CCTV cameras of the hotels, shows the bus in which the girl and her male friend were alleged to be assaulted by six men. Vinay, Akshay, Pawan and Mukesh are facing trial in the case, while the proceedings against accused Ram Singh have abated after he died on March 11. The sixth accused is facing proceedings before a Juvenile Justice Board.
