Srinagar: Three prime accused in rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. As many accused policemen were also convicted for “destruction of evidence” and sentenced to five years in jail while Vishal Jangotra alias Shamma, son of mastermind Sanji Ram, was acquitted by District and Sessions Judge— Dr. Tejwinder Singh—by giving him the ‘benefit of doubt’.
Sanji Ram, the mastermind, the caretaker of the devasthanam (temple) where the crime took place, Special Police Officer Deepak Khajuria alias Deepu and a civilian—Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu—were convicted under Ranbir Penal Code sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, gangrape, destruction of evidence, drugging the victim and common intention
Under Section 302 (murder), they were sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and penalty of Rs 1 lakh; under Section 120b (criminal conspiracy): Imprisonment for life plus fine of Rs 50,000; under
Section 376-D (gang rape): Rigorous imprisonment for 25 years plus Rs 50,000 fine and under Section 328 (causing hurt by means of feeding poison): Rigorous imprisonment for 10 years plus Rs 50,000 fine and under section 363 (kidnapping): Rigorous imprisonment for seven years and fine of Rs 50,000.
Of the three, Parvesh Kumar was additionally awarded punishment under RPC section 376D/511 of rigorous imprisonment for 10 years plus Rs 25,000 fine.
“Our observation is that the three main accused have been sentenced to prison till their death. The court was asked whether the prison sentences would run concurrently, the Honourable Judge said that the definition of life imprisonment as it was defined would apply in this case,” JK Chopra, the public prosecutor in the case, told reporters while briefing the media outside the court complex.
Three policemen—Sub Inspector Anand Dutta, Head Constable Tilak Raj and special police officer Surender Verma –were convicted for destruction of evidence to cover up and sentenced to five years in jail and Rs 50,000 fine each, he said. If they do not deposit the fine, they will have to serve an additional six months in jail, he said.
The day-to-day in-camera trial began in the first week of June last year at the district and session court in Pathankot after the Supreme Court directed that the case be shifted out of J&K after lawyers in Kathua had prevented crime branch officials from filing the charge sheet in the case.
The trial was assigned to the district and sessions court in Pathankot by the Supreme Court after the victim’s family approached with a plea to transfer the case from Kathua.
The eight-year-old girl, belonging to a nomadic tribe, was allegedly kidnapped on January 10 and her body was found on January 17 last year. She was gang-raped and later murdered. The crime branch has arrested eight people, including a juvenile in the case.
The district and sessions court in Pathankot framed charges of rape and murder against the seven accused in the case on June 8 last year.
