Imphal, June 22 2017: The Juvenile Justice Board Imphal East, today, transferred the case of Loushambam Suraj, one of the accused in the Phaknung gang rape case, to Special Judge POCSO Imphal East after ossification test results revealed his age to be above 18 years but below 20 years of age .
The JJB Imphal East order was passed after the Special Court POCSO Imphal East yesterday dismissed two separate appeals filed by the father of the accused, Loushambam Lokendro (57) of Khurai Angom Leikai, through their counsel, praying for setting aside two orders of JJB Imphal East consisting of Principal Magistrate Imphal East Ningthoujam Lanleima on May 11 and May 24 which allowed for conducting ossification test of the accused .
The order passed today by the JJB Imphal East mentioned that as per the result of he ossification test conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine Porompat on June 1, the age of the accused Loushambam Suraj is found to be above 18 years but below 20 years of age and accordingly transferred the case of the accused to Special Judge POCSO Imphal East for further proceeding .
It may be mentioned that a team of Imphal East district police and Imphal East women police arrested the seven accused of the Phaknung gang rape case some three days after the incident was reported to an NGO by the victim girls, who later filed a complaint to women police station on April 17 .
All the seven accused were produced before the Special Court POCSO Imphal East on April 19 and on that day, one accused, Thongam Sadananda (22) s/o (L) Th Shamu of Moirang Kampu was taken into police custody remand while the remaining six including Loushambam Suraj were sent to observation home after their counsel claimed before the Court that they were juvenile with their school certificates as proofs .
From that day onwards L Suraj, along with the five accused had been staying at the observation home as juveniles .
During the course of the investigation, RK Rabina SDPO Imphal East and M Roni SDPO Porompat pointed out the contradiction in the date of birth details of the said juveniles in their school certificates, aadhaar cards and the age admitted by the juveniles themselves and submitted a prayer for conducting ossification test before the JJB Imphal East.
Source: The Sangai Express
