Deposing before the special court hearing the December 16 gang-rape case, the mother of the 23-year-old victim made a fervent plea for justice for her daughter.
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 (please ensure justice for my daughter),” she pleaded to Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna.
Advocate V. K. Anand, appearing for accused Mukesh, did not cross-examine her saying she was already in deep pain and he did not want to depress her further by asking questions about her daughter.
The judge asked counsel for the other accused to be “polite” with the woman and only ask relevant questions.
The mother testified that her daughter left home at 4 p.m. after informing her that she was going shopping and would also watch a movie. When her daughter did not return home till 9 p.m., the woman 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,” the mother deposed.
The mother also deposed that she knew the victim’s male friend (complainant in the case) for the past two years and had also talked with him over the phone. 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.
