Surat rape case: 3 accused get life term

Three men charged with raping a 16-year-old girl in Gujarat's Surat city were sentenced to life imprisonment today, with the judge saying the punishment should be "proportionate to the crime".

Three men charged with raping a 16-year-old girl in Gujarat's Surat city were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday, with the judge saying the punishment should be "proportionate to the crime".

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The three were held guilty on various counts by the principal district sessions judge RP Dolaria. They were also fined Rs 1 lakh each.

"Punishment should be exemplary and proportionate to the crime. It should set a standard in deterring a repetition of such a crime by anyone in the future," the judge said. The court observed that the accused never showed any remorse during the hearings.

Shahid Saiyed (22), Tariq Saiyed (21) and Abu Bakr (33) were charged with the rape of a Class 12 student on her way to a tuition class on the evening of June 12, 2009. She was abducted and raped in a moving car. The rape was filmed to blackmail the victim.