Mangalore: Convicts in 2010 gang-rape case get life imprisonment
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Sep 21: The fourth additional district and sessions court on Saturday September 21 award rigorous life imprisonment to the two accused in the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl at Central railway station here in 2010.
The accused Ashok (26) from Kemmane and Nishith (22) from Attavar were convicted under section 376(2)(g) of the IPC on September 17. The third accused, Abdul Sattar (25) was acquitted, while another accused, Sameesh, is still absconding.
Judge B K Naik, who pronounced the verdict, ordered the convicts to pay Rs 25,000 each as penalty to the victim, failing which their imprisonment would be extended by two more years.
While pronouncing the judgement, the court termed the incident as 'gruesome', and that it had brought shame to the girl. The judge referred to the verdict on a similar case in Delhi on May 15, 2013.
The court also recommended the railway department to compensate the victim suitably, and stated that the department is for the public service and should take responsibility for the incident. The incident occurred due to lapse of security in the railway station, the judge said.
The public prosecutor was Manjunath V Bhatt Panne, while lawyers Rajesh and Narayan Poojary represented the convicts. The lawyer for Abdul Sattar, who was acquitted, was Arun Bangera.
The incident had taken place at Central railway station on July 14, 2010. A 15-year-old girl from Odisha, who was employed at the house of Emilda Farais, had escaped and was waiting for a Goa train at the railway station. Seeing her alone, one of the accused approached her and on the pretext of helping her catch the train, took her to a compartment in a Pondicherry-bound train, and raped her along with two other men.
She was found unconscious by a cleaner who informed the police. With the help of childline, the case was registered in railway police station. Investigation was taken up by the then inspector Vittadas Pai.