Ghaziabad rape case: accused to be tried as adult

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday said that an accused held in connection with the rape of a 10-year-old girl inside a madrasa in Ghaziabad will be tried as an adult after the ossification (bone) test report indicated that he is not a juvenile.

The accused was initially suspected to be 17-year-old. The report was submitted to the JJB on Tuesday by the Delhi Police and the matter was listed for hearing on Wednesday.

The ossification test was conducted after the family of the accused failed to submit documents that could have helped the police ascertain whether he was a minor.

The police had last week arrested the madrasa cleric for allegedly being aware of the girl’s presence on the premises.

The police were informed on April 21 by the girl’s father that she had gone missing from Ghazipur in east Delhi. The girl was later rescued from the madrasa by the Delhi Police and the “juvenile” accused apprehended, the police said.

The victim recorded her statement in front of a magistrate on April 23. She had said the accused had taken her to the madrasa to meet his friends.