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Nirbhaya rape case: Rapist seeks probe into perjury committed by boy accompanying victim

During the proceedings, advocate AP Singh, representing Nirbhaya convict's father, said that the complaint cited recent media reports which alleged that witness charged money to appear for interviews on various news channels.

Nirbhaya rape case: Rapist seeks probe into perjury committed by boy accompanying victim
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New Delhi, First Published Dec 14, 2019, 6:02 PM IST

New Delhi: A Delhi court has raised questions on maintainability of application of one of the death-row convicts in Nirbhaya rape case which has sought registration of FIR against the girl's friend for perjury for giving false testimony.

The complaint, filed by the father of Pawan Kumar Gupta, claimed that the boy accompanying Nirbhaya in the bus turned the case into a "media trial" by charging money from news channels to give interviews.

"This call for an independent investigation into the perjury committed by him, being the sole witness, his testimony has strongly influenced the outcome of the case," the complaint stated. Perjury relates to wilfully making a misrepresentation under oath.

"What cognisable offence is made out in your complaint?" Metropolitan Magistrate Sudhir Kumar Sirohi said on Friday, adding that the witnesses record statements under oath and what they say outside the courtroom cannot raise a question on their credibility as a witness.

The court will decide the maintainability of the petition on the next date of hearing - December 20. Pawan, among five others, had in 2012 gang-raped and murdered a 23-year-old paramedic student.

The sole eye-witness, a friend of the 23-year-old victim, was accompanying her on the bus when the gruesome incident took place and he had also sustained injuries.

During the proceedings, advocate AP Singh, representing the convict's father, said that the complaint cited recent media reports which alleged that the witness charged money to appear for interviews on various news channels.

The four convicts had then approached the Delhi high court, but it upheld the lower court verdict. Later, the Supreme Court, too, upheld the death penalty in May 2017. They are now facing the gallows.

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