Esther rape trial: Accused denies charges

MUMBAI: Chandrabhan Sanap, a petty thief, standing trial in the alleged rape and murder of Andhra techie Esther Anhuya, denied all allegations against him on Tuesday as he answered over 300 questions posed by the judge under section 313 of the criminal procedure code. One of the final stages of the trial, Sanap, stood in the witness box throughout the proceedings.
Defence lawyer Prakash Salsingekar meanwhile made an application seeking the nodal officer of one of the cell phone providers as a defence witness. The court has allowed the application. The lawyer will present a list of eight defence witnesses to the court on Wednesday.
On January 14 last year the badly burnt remains of the victim were found in the bushes alongside the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup (E), eight days after her father first reported his daughter missing to the Vijaywada railway police. Sanap is currently undergoing trial for allegedly posing as a private taxi driver and attacking her.