Gujarat: 4 months after teen on way back from Navratri event was gang-raped, court convicts two

A third accused, Shivshanker Chorasiya (45), died in police custody during trial.

Police said the gang rape took place on October 8 last year when the girl and her 19-year-old friend were waiting on the roadside in Surat district after their bike ran out of fuel.

Around this time, three men on another bike arrived at the spot and accosted them, according to the FIR. The accused then pulled the duo in a nearby agricultural field. They also disrobed the girl’s friend, took his pictures and threatened to make them viral, stated the FIR. The man somehow managed to escape from the spot, reached a nearby village, and sought help. Around this time, the accused gang-raped the woman, the FIR stated. As the villagers arrived at the scene of crime, the accused fled from the spot, according to the FIR.

Acting on the statements of the gang-rape victim, Surat rural Kosamba police registered offences of kidnapping, gang rape, and illegal confinement under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Paswan and Vishwakarma, both 40, along with Chorasiya were caught two days later from Mandvi town.

The same night, while in police custody, Chorasiya complained about chest pain following which he was taken to the Community Health Centre at Kamrej. From there, he was rushed to New Civil Hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

Around 15 days after the incident, the police submitted a charge sheet of around 3,000 pages in the POCSO court. The charge sheet includes medical evidence, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) evidence, documentary evidence, extra-judicial confessions, and statements of 67 witnesses.

The case trial commenced on November 11, 2024, and ended on February 6.

Talking to The Indian Express, Surat District Government Pleader Nayan Sukhadwala said, “The court had considered the scientific, medical, and FSL evidence and statement of the victim and her friend, which led to the conviction. Apart from this, the court had also considered Vishwakarma’s criminal background. All three were headed to commit a theft, but on their way, they found the couple alone and committed gangrape on the victim.” Advocate R G Parekh, the legal aide from the defence side, could not be contacted despite attempts.