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CBI court in Ranchi awards Shahdeo’s husband life imprisonment in conversion case
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi awarded life imprisonment to Ranjit Singh Kohli, alias Raquib-ul-Hassan, and two others for torturing and molesting his wife and national shooter Tara Shahdeo on Thursday.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Jharkhand’s Ranchi on Thursday found Ranjit Singh Kohli, alias Raquib-ul-Hassan, guilty of torturing his wife and national shooter Tara Shahdeo for religious conversion and awarded him life imprisonment.
Ranjit’s mother, Kaushalya Rani (84), was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and suspended Jharkhand high court registrar (vigilance), Mushtaq Ahmed, was awarded 15 years.
In addition to jail terms, special judge PK Sharma imposed a fine of ₹50,000 each on all three. In the case of non-payment of the fine, the court provided an additional six months’ jail term.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Senior Public Prosecutor (CBI) Priyanshu Singh said, “The punishment was given under section 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”
A civil court lawyer said the punishment under 376(2)(n) is given when a person commits rape repeatedly on the same woman.
The quantum of punishment under this section, the lawyer said, ranges between 10 years to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of the person’s natural life, besides a fine.
Mokhtar Ahmed, representing the convicts, confirmed the development, saying he will challenge the CBI court order before the Jharkhand high court.
“It was a family dispute that was given another turn. The order will be challenged in the Jharkhand high court,” Ahmed said.
A junior CBI lawyer said conviction in the case took place on September 30.
The CBI court found Kohli guilty under sections 120B, 376(2)(n), 323, 298, 506, and 496 of the IPC. Kaushalya Rani was found guilty under sections 120B, 298, 506, and 323 of the IPC, and Mushtaq Ahmed has been found guilty under sections 120B and 298 of the IPC.
Asked about the punishment in another section, prosecutor Singh said, “That will be mentioned in the order copy. Since the quantum of punishment in sections other than 376(2)(n) is very less, it becomes meaningless once a person is sentenced in 376(2)(n).”
The case arose after Shahdeo approached Hindpiri police station in 2014, and a first information report (FIR) was registered based on her statement at the said police station.
The FIR stated that the trio, under a well-planned controversy, molested and tortured Shahdeo for religious conversion.
According to the allegations levelled in the FIR, on July 7, 2014, Tara Shahdeo and Rakibul alias Ranjit Kohli were married as per Hindu customs.
But on the second day of marriage, i.e., on July 8, Rakibul and Mushtaq Ahmed started pressuring Tara to marry according to Islam rituals and convert to Islam.
A few days after the marriage, when Tara went to the Iftar party at Mushtaq Ahmed’s house, he molested her.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case in 2015. The Delhi branch of CBI had registered case number RC/9S/15 in the matter. On July 2, 2018, charges were framed in the case, and subsequently, the prosecution produced 26 witnesses in court.
Important witnesses presented by the CBI in court included Tara Shahdeo, late former minister Haji Hussain Ansari, Qazi Jan Mohammad, resident of Blair Apartment, then sub-inspector of Jharkhand Police Deepika Kumari (who had rescued Tara), case IO (investigation officer) Harishchandra Singh, and CBI IO Seema Pahuja.
During the argument on the quantum of punishment in court, prosecutor Singh was heard requesting the court to give maximum punishment, saying that the incident disturbed the social fabric.
He also asked the court to consider the pain of the victim and society while deciding on the quantum of punishment, a lawyer close to the matter said.
Defence lawyer Ahmed was heard requesting the court to take a lenient view considering the background and age of the convicts. According to the defence lawyer, it was the first crime of the convicts, including an 84-year-old woman and a high court registrar of high repute.
Tara was present in court when the order on the quantum of justice was pronounced to the convicts through video conferencing.
She could not be reached for her comment as she immediately left the court premises after the judgment on the quantum of punishment was pronounced.
