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CBSE topper gangrape: Three accused get 20-year jail
A trial court in Haryana’s Narnaul town on Friday pronounced 20-year jail term to three main accused in the CBSE topper gangrape case
A trial court in Haryana’s Narnaul town on Friday pronounced 20-year jail term to three main accused in the CBSE topper gangrape case.
A day earlier, special court for crime against women additional district and sessions judge Mona Singh had held three main accused – Pankaj, Nishu and Manish – guilty under Sections 328 (forcibly administering intoxicating substances), 365 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and acquitted five others in the case.
Pronouncing the sentence, judge Mona Singh sentenced the three main accused to 20-year jail term, besides imposing a fine of ₹20,000 each on them. She has also directed the district legal services authority (DLSA) to compensate the victim with ₹5 lakh.
The incident took place on September 12, 2018, when the then 18-year-old CBSE topper on her way to a coaching centre in Mahendragarh district was abducted and raped.
A chargesheet was filed against eight accused with Pankaj, Nishu and Manish being named as the main accused, while Deen Dayal, Naveen, Dr Sanjeev, Manjit and Abhishek faced other charges.
On Thursday, after hearing arguments of both sides, the additional district and sessions judge had convicted accused Pankaj, Nishu and Manish, who were booked under Sections 328, 365 and 376 of the IPC. The judge had acquitted the five others who were booked under Sections 202, 118 and 216 of the IPC.
Ex-army man from victim’s village convicted
The gangrape made headlines in 2018 after the police had booked eight people, including an army man. Police said the three accused had intercepted the girl, who was a state-level kabbadi player when she was on her way to a coaching centre from her native village in Rewari district. She was taken to a field, where the accused’s accomplices joined them.
In her statement, the victim had said that Pankaj, who was then in the army and whom she knew, and Manish, both residents of her village, met her near Kosli bus stand in Mahendragarh district when she was going to attend her coaching class.
They offered her a glass of water after drinking which she fell unconscious. The duo along with Nishu took her in a car to a well in a nearby field and gave her another drink. They raped her there, she had told police.
Victim’s family alleges threat from accused
The accused were arrested four days later. The rape survivor’s family alleged that five accused out on bail and now acquitted used to send threats to them.
A senior police official, who was part of the special investigation team, said the team had recorded statements of 23 people in the case.
