7 get death for Rohtak rape-murder

Sunit Dhawan

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Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 21

A Rohtak court today awarded the death penalty to seven youths accused of raping, torturing and murdering a 28-year-old Nepalese woman here in February this year. All seven belong to Gaddi Kheri village in the district.

The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Seema Singhal considered the case the “rarest of the rare” and handed over the death penalty to the accused, who had been convicted on Saturday.

Apart from handing over the death penalty for murder, the Judge also awarded them lifelong imprisonment under Section 376-D (gangrape), 10-year imprisonment under Section 366 (kidnapping), and seven-year imprisonment under Section 201 (destruction of evidence). She also awarded life imprisonment to one of the accused, Rajesh alias Ghuchdu, under Section 377 (unnatural sex).

“Today’s judgment will be a step towards giving a message to the society that such crimes will be met with a heavy hand,” the Judge maintained.

While the victim’s sister, Janki, other family members and counsel Pradeep Malik expressed satisfaction at the judgment, the parents of the accused seemed dejected. Advocate Deepak Bhardwaj, a counsel for the accused, remarked that they had received a decision from the court, but not justice.

The court had convicted seven of the eight accused in the case. The convicted persons include Rajesh alias Ghuchru, Sunil alias Shilla, Sarwar alias Billu, Manbir, Sunil, Pawan and Parmod alias Padam. The eighth suspect, Sombir of the same village, had allegedly committed suicide, while the trial of another accused hailing from Nepal is under process at a juvenile court.

The 28-year-old woman from Nepal, who was staying with her sister and brother-in-law at Chinyot Colony here, had gone missing on February 1. Her naked body was found at Bahu Akbarpur village in the district three days later.

The post-mortem revealed multiple injuries on the head, chest, thighs and private parts. A condom and two pointed stones were recovered from inside her body, while her genitals were badly mutilated.

The incident had generated widespread condemnation, with protest marches being taken out.