All 3 accused get life for ‘devilish act’

Judge R P Dholaria also imposed a fine of Rs 1.92 lakh each on Saiyed Shahid,Saiyed Tarik and Abubakar Memon Shahid.

The court,which found the incident to be a “devilish act”,also pronounced to give Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the victim and Rs 25,000 to her classmate,who was also abducted in the same car.

The crime was committed on June 12,2009,when the victim,a Class XII student,was exchanging books with a male classmate early in the morning near the Majura Gate on Ring Road. The trio,posing as policemen,came in a car and took them inside on the pretext of taking them to the police station. While the car was on the move,they gangraped the girl and also videographed the act on their mobile phones before letting the two out.

The girl later lodged a complaint with the police and the three were charged under Sections 376 (2) (J),363,365,366,292,294,170,506 (2),114 of the IPC by the Athwalines police. All accused were arrested the same day from Nanpura and Chowk Bazaar areas.

The police carried out narco tests on the trio and seized their mobile phones and laptops,which allegedly revealed more video clips of their sexual escapades.

During their remand period,they were beaten up by a mob outside the New Civil Hospital when they were taken for a medical examination.

In view of the sensitivity of the case,state Home Minister Amit Shah had come down to Surat to pacify the agitated locals,particularly since fathers of the two accused were policemen.

Surat Police Commissioner Deepak Swarup,who on TV made a statement that the girl and her classmate were found in a compromising situation when the youths accosted them,was shunted out by the state government the next day,replacing him with Shivanand Jha.

‘Rapists showed no repentance for their crime’

While pronouncing the judgment,the court observed that the behaviour of the three rapists did not indicate any repentance on their part for the crime,and this was also why they deserved a life sentence. The judge mentioned that all were habitual sex offenders and had sexually assaulted another girl a week before the gangrape.

The defence had made a request before the judge to reduce the sentence as two accused were young. They argued that Shahid is 23-year-old,Tarik a Class XII student and Memon (33) was the sole earner of the family comprising wife,two children and his parents. The defence also mentioned that the trio had no criminal record.

However,Public Prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala argued that the rapists were from well-to-do families and were habitual sex offenders. The counsels for the accused,however,maintained that they will move the higher courts. Outside the court,the judgement was welcomed by a large crowd who burst firecrackers in celebration.