New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) A city court is likely to pronounce Friday its verdict in the sensational Buddha Jayanti Park gang rape case of 2003, in which four members of the army’s elite President’s Bodyguard are the accused.
Additional Sessions Judge S.K. Sarvaria had reserved the verdict July 24.

According to the prosecution, the victim had gone with her friend Ashish to the park near Rashtrapati Bhavan Oct 6, 2003, and was raped by Harpreet and Satendra while Kuldeep and Manish kept guard.

The prosecution, which examined 25 witnesses to establish the rape charge, said that the accused had raped the victim when she had gone there with her friend for sight-seeing.

The four first roughed up the girl’s friend and then took her to a secluded place inside the park where they raped her, the prosecution alleged.

However, Ranbir Sharma, an advocate appearing for the key accused Harpreet, submitted before the court that “the accused have been framed in the case”.

During the arguments, the defence rubbished the recovery by police of various articles such as the girl’s handkerchief and a doll, that too two days after the incident, adding that these facts had never come out in the statements of the victim.

The accused had been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code dealing with gang rape, kidnapping and robbery.