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Prosecution seeks death penalty for 5 convicts in 2024 Bhayli gang rape case
The Vadodara POCSO court convicted the five men on August 20 for the gang rape of the girl in Bhayli area on October 4, 2024
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The prosecution on Tuesday sought the death penalty or, in the alternative, life imprisonment for five men convicted in the 2024 Bhayli gang rape case, in which a 16-year-old girl was raped during the Navratri festival.
“Considering the manner in which the offence was committed and the role of each convict, we have sought the maximum punishment to ensure that such crimes are not repeated. There is a provision for the death penalty and, in the alternative, we have sought life imprisonment,” district government pleader Anil Desai, appearing for the prosecution, told HT.
The Vadodara Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court heard arguments on the quantum of punishment and fixed August 31 to pronounce the sentence.
The defence sought minimum punishment, citing the fact that the convicts were married and had families and children. Desai said the prosecution opposed the plea, arguing that the same family circumstances existed when the convicts committed the offence.
Desai also argued that since most convicts were in their early twenties, a 20-year sentence would allow them to be released from prison by the time they reached their forties. `He said such a punishment would not be adequate considering the gravity of the offence.
The Vadodara POCSO court convicted the five men on August 20 for the gang rape of the girl in Bhayli area on October 4, 2024.
The incident took place on the second night of the Navratri festival, when the girl, returning from a garba event with a friend, was allegedly intercepted by five men and gang-raped.
The accused, Munna Abbas Banjara, Mumtaz alias Aftab Banjara, Shahrukh Banjara, Saif Ali Banjara and Ajmal Banjara, allegedly approached the girl and her friend at a secluded spot on motorcycles, took the keys of her two-wheeler and threatened to inform her family.
The five allegedly assaulted and threatened the two before gang-raping the girl.
The prosecution examined 45 witnesses and relied on CCTV footage, medical evidence and other material during the trial. The five convicts resided in the Tandalja area and worked as labourers.
