On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court directed the prosecution to submit a status report within two weeks regarding the pending appeal of Shahid alias Billi, one of the five individuals serving life imprisonment in connection with the 2010 Dhaula Kuan gang rape incident. The case relates to the abduction and sexual assault of a BPO employee, who was forcibly taken from Moti Bagh and later abandoned in Mangolpuri after being raped by members of the Mewati gang.
Justice Girish Kathpalia issued notice on Shahid’s plea and also called for the nominal roll from the jail authorities, observing that the petitioner has remained in custody for nearly 13 years without any remission. The matter has been listed before the appropriate bench on July 29.
In parallel proceedings, the High Court granted temporary exemption to Shahid from surrendering upon the expiry of his furlough, which was originally granted by the government. The petitioner sought an extension citing the deteriorating health of his minor daughter, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.
The Court took note of the medical records and photographs submitted in support of the request and remarked that a fresh furlough application would entail procedural delays. Taking into account the prolonged period of incarceration and the humanitarian grounds cited, the bench allowed the exemption while clarifying that the order is confined to the facts of this case and shall not operate as a precedent.
Shahid was convicted alongside Shamshad alias Khutkan, Usman alias Kale, Iqbal alias Billi, and Kamruddin alias Kamru by the Dwarka Sessions Court on October 14, 2014. The Delhi High Court upheld their convictions in 2018.
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