Court awards 14 years RI to Dhaula Kuan gang rape case convict

A Delhi court today awarded rigorous imprisonment of 14 years to the lone arrested accused convicted in the sensational Dhaula Kuan gang rape case in which a Delhi University student was gang raped in a moving car in 2005.

A Delhi court on Thursday awarded rigorous imprisonment of 14 years to the lone arrested accused convicted in the sensational Dhaula Kuan gangrape case in which a Delhi University student was gang raped in a moving car in 2005.

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"The scar of rape always remains in the mind of the victim and cannot be overcome throughout her life," Additional Sessions Judge Neeraj Kumar Gupta said.

Terming the act of convict Ajit Singh Katiyar as "beastly", the court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on him after finding him guilty of gangrape, abduction, criminal intimidation, administering intoxicant and group liability.

Earlier, the public prosecutor, arguing on quantum of sentence, sought maximum punishment for the convict, saying "the victim was raped six times in a moving car in her over two-hour-long illegal detention."

Citing various apex court judgements, he said no leniency should be granted to such sexual offender.

Defence counsel Manoj Sharma, however, sought lenient sentence for his client on the ground that he belongs to a poor family background and had to look after his old and ailing parents.

The court, in its 70-page verdict, relied on the unequivocal and "consistent" statements of the 20-year-old victim, a Delhi University student from Mizoram, given to the police and during the trial.

The girl, who stood by her statement, identified Katiyar as the culprit first in the test identification parade, held in the Tihar jail and then in the court.

The victim was abducted on May 8, 2005 while she was walking back home after buying food from a roadside eatery along with a friend and was raped by four accused in a car near Dhaula Kuan in South Delhi here.

The court, however, said police failed to arrest three co-accused -- Danda, Jat and Tappe. They were later declared proclaimed offenders during the trial.

Police also could not trace the Santro car used in the abduction and rape of the victim. A friend of the victim managed to escape from the spot, they said.

She was later dumped near a Gurudwara here.