German rape case: 5 convicted by Chandigarh court

In quick disposal of a rape case,a local court convicted five accused of raping a 20-year-old German tourist in September. Pankaj Punia,Manvir Singh Jolly,Harpreet Singh Dalli,Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi and Sompal were booked for kidnapping the woman from outside a five star hotel in Chandigarh on September 28 and taking her to a farmhouse in Haryana’s Samalakha area where she was gang raped.

The quantum of sentence would be pronounced on Wednesday. The in-camera proceedings of the case were held on January 16-17. The recording of statement and cross- examination of the German girl was completed on January 17.

The victim spoke in German during recording of her statement and was helped by three interpreters including one from the German Embassy.

The woman,who had deposed before Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri,had gone back to her home on January 18. The day-to-day hearing in the case had resumed on Monday.