Two years after a minor girl was gang-raped on a Navratri night in Vadodara, a special POCSO court on Monday sentenced five men to life imprisonment, describing it as "the most heinous" crime.
The incident of gangrape occurring during Navratri, a festival dedicated to Goddess Amba, cannot be treated lightly, the court observed, as per the prosecution.
Additional District and Sessions Judge CM Pawar imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on each of the five convicts and also ordered the government to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to the survivor, special public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala said.
"The court observed that women play a vital role in society, and gang-rape committed on a woman or a minor is an extremely serious matter. The court described this as a most heinous incident," Sukhadwala told reporters.
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"The court further remarked that an incident of gangrape occurring during Navratri, a festival dedicated to Goddess Amba, cannot be treated lightly, noting that the evidence presented was strong and beyond reasonable doubt," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"The court further remarked that an incident of gangrape occurring during Navratri, a festival dedicated to Goddess Amba, cannot be treated lightly, noting that the evidence presented was strong and beyond reasonable doubt," he added.
{{/usCountry}}The convicts have been identified as Mumtaz, Ajmal, Munna Banjara, Saif and Shahrukh, in the age group of 25 to 30 years.
The court convicted the five men on August 20 on charges of gangrape, destruction of evidence and dacoity under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The incident occurred when the victim, then aged 16, was out with her male friend on October 4, 2024, a Navratri night when people come out in large numbers to participate in garba events organised throughout the city.
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The accused persons gang-raped her while restraining her friend, the prosecution said.
The survivor told the police that she had gone out to meet her childhood friend in the city's Laxmipura area at around 11 pm. They were returning through the Bhayli locality on a scooty when, at around midnight, five persons on two-wheelers intercepted them on an isolated road.
The victim's mobile phone was looted and thrown in the Vishwamitra river, according to the police.
Taking all these factors into account, the court noted that Gujarat is a state where the 'Save the Girl Child' government scheme is implemented, and held that the depraved act committed by the accused could not be viewed lightly.
Consequently, the court sentenced the five accused to life imprisonment (incarceration for the remainder of their lives) and imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on each of them for gangrape, the prosecutor said.
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The court also acknowledged that while the ₹10 lakh compensation cannot erase the trauma or stigma faced by the victim, it serves as a measure of solace.
It took the submissions very seriously and accepted all the evidence as valid, Sukhadwala said.
"Three special public prosecutors were appointed for this case, and we worked together to bring it to a conclusion; a 6,000-page chargesheet was filed. Thanks to teamwork -incorporating CCTV footage, DNA evidence, and witness accounts - we achieved a successful outcome," he said.