Mumbai student's rape: Court acquits all 6 accused

All six persons arrested for allegedly raping a 23-year-old American student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in 2009 were acquitted on Wednesday by a court in Mumbai due to lack of evidence.

The Sewri Sessions Court, while acquitting the accused, observed that the evidence of the victim is not credible and that she is an unreliable witness.

The prosecution has failed to provide corroborative evidence against the accused, it said.

"The benefit of doubt is given to the accused and hence they are acquitted," the court observed.

The TISS student, whose identity has been withheld, had accused the six of drugging her and then gang-raping her.

Defence lawyer Pervez Memon said, "The court has accepted our arguments that there is no evidence against the accused and even the medical report is negative."

Vinamra Soni (23), Harshavardhan Yadav (22), Jaskaran Singh (21), Dev Colabawala (21), Anish Borkatki (21) and Kundanraj Borgonain (22) were arrested in April last year for allegedly raping the US national.