Ayodhya gangrape case: SP leader Moeed Khan acquitted, domestic help convicted

While Moeed Khans DNA test came negative, his servant Rajus test came positive, based on which the court has pronounced the verdict. He said that the investigation did not establish the crime scene as Moeeds bakery.

A POCSO court on Thursday awarded 20 years rigorous imprisonment to Samajwadi Party leader Moeed Khan's domestic help in the 2024 case of gangrape of a 12-year-old girl, who became pregnant and had to undergo an abortion. Moeed Khan, 66, and his domestic help Raju Khan's DNA test was conducted during the investigation in which Raju's sample matched with that of the foetus, while Moeed Khan's test result came negative. Special Judge POSCO Court, Nirupama Vikram, acquitted Moeed on Wednesday and a day later awarded 20 years rigorous imprisonment to Raju and a fine of Rs 50,000. Advocate Saeed Khan, the legal counsel of Moeed, said, ''Raju has been found guilty by the court. Moeed Khan and Raju's DNA tests were conducted. While (Moeed) Khan's DNA test came negative, his servant Raju's test came positive, based on which the court has pronounced the verdict.'' He said that the investigation did not establish the crime scene as Moeed's bakery. Rather, the crime scene was found to be quite far from the bakery. Charges against Moeed Khan were not proven due to all these arguments and he was acquitted. During the court hearing, 13 witnesses were examined by the prosecution. During lengthy arguments, when lawyers representing Moeed Ahmad began presenting arguments in court, the prosecution could not provide any response, he said. Moeed's lawyers argued that the FIR stated the crime scene as the bakery, while during investigation, the crime scene was shown to be quite far from the bakery. The forensic examination of the mobile phone allegedly used to record the gang rape video did not confirm this, the lawyer said. The DNA examination of the victim also found no crime against Moeed Khan, as he was falsely implicated due to politics, he said. Ayodhya police arrested the duo on July 30, 2024, a day after the rape. It was alleged at that time that Moeed and Raju raped the girl two months ago and also recorded the act. The incident, which came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant during a medical checkup, sparked a political storm with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raising it in the state Assembly. ''This is a case of Ayodhya. Moeed Khan is from the SP and is a member of the Ayodhya MP's team. ''He has been found involved in the rape of a 12-year-old girl. The Samajwadi Party has not taken any action against him,'' Adityanath said in the Assembly. He also met the girl's family. After the case was registered, a multi-storey shopping complex owned by Moeed was demolished by the Ayodhya district administration. About a dozen bulldozers and excavators were used to bring down the building that was allegedly built on 4,000 square feet of a pond. Another structure owned by Moeed, a bakery built on 3,000 square foot area, was also demolished. The minor gang rape survivor underwent a medical termination of pregnancy procedure at Queen Mary's Hospital in Lucknow. Then Station House Officer, Purakalandar police station, Ratan Sharma, and the beat constable were suspended.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)