WhatsApp rape video: Court summons three men, accepts CBI chargesheet

New Delhi, Aug 10:

After accepting a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a court here has issued summons to three persons accused of making a rape video and sharing it on social messaging app WhatsApp.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass issued summons to Subrata Kumar Sahoo alias Kalia Sahoo, Debashish Dey alias Bunty, and an advocate Sanjit Chaudhary, asking them to appear before the court on November 2.

The court order came on August 4 after it took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI on May, 2016.

The chargesheet was filed over a year after the Supreme Court directed the CBI, on February 27, 2015, to undertake an investigation into the rape video that was making the rounds on the popular app.

The apex court’s order came after the rape video was sent to then Chief Justice H.L. Dattu by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala in a pen drive along with a letter.

CBI registered eight first information reports (FIRs) and one preliminary enquiry.

In the first chargesheet filed in the case, the probe agency has alleged that Sahoo a builder in Bhubaneswar, Odisha made the video in April 2009 with the help of his associate Bunty.

“Investigation of the case has established that Sahoo in furtherance of a common intention with Bunty has created a video clip of a coital act between himself and the victim without her consent and in spite of her protests for the purpose of dissemination, transmitted it online and thereby violated her privacy,” the probe agency said.

The CBI has cited the transcript of the video conversation and said that victim had not consulted to be videographed or her privacy intruded.

The investigation also established that the video after being uploaded on internet went viral and later Sahoo transferred Rs 1.33 lakh to victim’s bank account, the CBI said in its chargesheet.

The Court has also summoned advocate Sanjit Chaudhary, neither arrested nor chargesheeted, observing that he was the one who allegedly uploaded the video on internet.

When a team of CBI met the victim, she denied to pursue the matter, the chargesheet added.

Sahoo was arrested on March 23, 2015 and granted bail on June 4, 2015, while Bunty was arrested on March 31, 2015 and granted bail on June 22, 2015. (IANS)