Conviction of two accused upheld

Borate and Kokade had appealed in the High Court in May against Pune sessions court order sentencing them to death for gang-rape and murder of 22-year-old BPO employee Jyotikumari. Principal district and sessions judge Anant Badar had delivered the judgement sentencing Kokade and Borate to death for criminal conspiracy of murder and to concurrent life sentences for kidnapping and gang-raping Jyotikumari.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam was the special public prosecutor in the case. Jyotikumari,who hailed from Uttar Pradesh,was a science graduate from the University of Pune. She had joined the Wipro BPO (then called Spectramind) as an associate in December 2006 and was staying with her sister and brother-in-law in Panchavati area,Pashan. Around 10 pm on November 1,2007,the last day of her notice period with the company,Borate along with Kokade had picked her up in the office cab for her night shift. Her body was found the next day near Gahunje village with cut marks on the right hand vein and wounds due to strangulation.

“They took her to a secluded place and raped her turn by turn. Even after (the) commission of crime,both showed no remorse and went for the other pick-up. The accused were not under duress or domination of any other person,but their acts were just for satisfying lust,” the court said.

While hearing the appeal,the HC had expressed concern at safety of women travelling alone. Prosecution lawyer Dere and Prajakta Shinde had submitted suggestions that included employees and security staff of a company and local police aware of the standard operating procedure.

All employees working between 7 pm and 7 am must be provided a doorstep pick-up and drop facility with complete police verification of the vehicle,its owner and driver,the government suggested.

“A control room should be set up and manned by trained staff aware of organisational operating procedures for quick response,” it said,adding that women employees should be contacted through the control room,not directly by drivers.