Hang me, says gang-rape accused

New Delhi  :  “Hang me!” So said an accused in the gang-rape of a young woman Wednesday in a Delhi court which sent him and two others to police remand after all of them admitted their involvement in the crime.

Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor, told the court that he had beaten up the gang-rape victim’s male friend but did nothing with the girl and told Metropolitan Magistrate Namrita Agarwal: “Hang me!”

Accused Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh, the brother of co-accused bus driver Ram Singh, in whose vehicle the crime took place, were presented in the Saket court.

The magistrate sent Gupta and Sharma to four days’ police custody. Mukesh was sent to Tihar jail on 14 days’ custody.

Mukesh, after confessing to the crime, agreed to undergo an identification parade. Gupta and Sharma refused to do so.

Gupta told the court that he did not want to undergo the identification exercise as he had committed a “horrible act”.

The court said that Mukesh would undergo the identification drill – in which an alleged offender is brought before witnesses and victims – Dec 20 in jail.

The bus driver, who was Tuesday sent to police remand till Dec 23, had refused to undergo the identification parade.

The Delhi High Court took suo moto notice of the gang-rape incident and remarked: “Nobody is safe here.” The high court told police to file a report by Friday.

The rape and torture occurred Sunday night when the woman and her male friend boarded a private bus in south Delhi after watching a movie.