Nearly two years after the horrific incident in which six minor schoolgirls were attacked with acid in Gurdaspur, a local court has sentenced the main accused in the case and his accomplice to 15 years of imprisonment. Sajan Masih is the main accused in the case. His accomplice Lovepreet Singh drove the bike that Masih was riding pillion and helped him attack the girls. The third accused, Santokh Singh, a dairy owner who allegedly provided acid to Masih, was acquitted of all charges. While Masih was already in jail, Lovepreet was taken into custody on Wednesday after the judgment was pronounced. Masih’s main target was Manpreet Kaur and Prabhjot Kaur, both of whom were on way home from their school along with four classmates after appearing in their examination on March 16, 2016. All six girls were from village Dharmabad. Prabhjot, who was most seriously injured in the attack, is still undergoing treatment for burns. Manpreet, Gagandeep Kaur, Sukhmandeep Kaur, Arshpreet Kaur and Asha Masih also received injuries. Most of them have recovered now, though Arshpreet’s vision has been partially affected as some drops of acid had entered her eyes. Five of the six victims were present in the court on Wednesday. “We are satisfied with the punishment given to Masih and Lovepreet. We will go to high court against the decision to acquit the third accused. But we are happy today. We will go to the Golden Temple to pay thanks to the almighty for giving us justice,” said Prabhjot Kaur. Manpreet said, “I am happy the judgment came just before the start of our Class 10th exam. Now, we will be able to concentrate on our study. I am satisfied with the judgement."
