Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP) 

Udupi, Nov 23: Judge of the special district court for POCSO cases, C M Joshi, announced that the charge of gang-rape of a girl which had happened on July 8, 2016 at Badagabettu in the outskirts of the city has been proved. He said that the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on November 25. 

Padam Singh Mali (28) and Mukeshi Seni (20), both natives of Rajasthan, have been found guilty of the charge. Both of them knew the father of the aggrieved girl well as worked together as tile fixing workers. The girl's family was residing here since the last two decades. The girl, who was a tenth standard student, came to know about these young men through their father. 

On July 8, 2016, they had forcibly brought her from her house to a rented house in Badagabettu where they were residing, and raped. At that time, the girl was sleeping alone in a room while her mother and brothers were in another. Her father was not at home when the accused knocked the door at midnight on July 8, 2016. The girl, who opened the door, was dragged out by the accused and abducted in their car. The girl was unconscious when they raped her. Later, she was threatened against revealing the incident to others, it is said. A case about the incident had been filed in women's police station here on July 10. 

The then police circle inspectors, Srikant and Jaishnakar, had filed chargesheet on September 20, 2016. The accused were also charged of abduction, gang-rape, destruction of evidence and charges under POCSO Act. POCSO special public prosecutor, Vasu Poojary, appeared in the case on behalf of the prosecution. The court examined 21 out of 34 listed witnesses and arrived at the conclusion that the charges have been proved. 

Both of them were in judicial custody since the day they were arrested. Although they had applied for bail twice in the district court and once in the high court, they were rejected.