New Delhi: The Allahabad High Court has granted conditional bail to Kunal Pandey and Anand Chauhan, who were accused of gang-raping a B.Tech student from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) in Varanasi. The duo was released after spending seven months in jail following their arrest in January 2024. However, the court denied bail to the third accused, Saksham Patel, whose application is scheduled for review on September 14, 2024.
Kunal Pandey was released on August 24, while Anand Chauhan was released on August 29. Upon returning to his home in Nagwa Colony, Anand was greeted with garlands by neighbors. According to local reports, Kunal and Anand’s residences are adjacent to each other, further highlighting the close-knit nature of their community support.
The crime took place on November 2, 2023, when the 20-year-old student was allegedly assaulted by three men while she was out with a friend. According to the victim’s account, she and her friend had left their hostel and were near the Karman Baba temple when three men on a motorcycle approached them. The attackers separated her from her friend, dragged her into a secluded area, gagged her, and carried out the heinous assault.
The police investigation revealed that the accused had confessed to the crime, including disrobing and filming the survivor at gunpoint. On December 31, 2023, Kunal Pandey, Anand Chauhan, and Saksham Patel were taken into police custody. Authorities also seized motorcycles, mobile phones, and other electronic evidence. The accused were charged under the National Security Act, the UP Gangsters Act, and the Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act, underscoring the severity of the crime.
