5 get life in jail for abduction, assault of Army trainee officers, gang-rape of woman friend
Five men were sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court in Mhow in Madhya Pradesh on Monday for looting, assaulting and abducting two Army trainee officers as well as their two women friends and gang-raping one of them.
The incident, which had taken place at Jaam Gate on Mhow-Mandleshwar road between 2 am and 3 am on September 11 last year, had hit national headlines.
Fourth Additional Session Judge Ravishankar Dohre sentenced Anil Barod (27), Pawan Wasuniya (23), Ritesh Bhabhar (25), Rohit Girwal (23) and Sachin Makwana (25) to life imprisonment, Special Public Prosecutor of Mhow court Sandhya Uike told PTI.
They have been ordered to pay Rs 50,000 to the gang-rape victim and Rs 10,000 each to the other three victims, Uike said.
The sixth accused, who is a minor, is being tried in the juvenile court, Uike added.
"The incident of loot, abduction and gang-rape took place near Jaam Gate situated on Mhow-Mandleshwar road between 2 and 3 am on September 11 last year when two trainee Army officers of the Infantry School, Mhow, had gone there with two women friends," Uike said.
"Suddenly, six people pointed a pistol, attacked them and thrashed them with sticks. They demanded Rs 10 lakh and threatened to kill them if they did not pay. They looted their mobile phones and Rs 800. They then asked a trainee officer and a woman friend to go to Infantry School to arrange the amount," she said.
They confined one trainee officer and a woman friend, who was gang-raped by Ritesh Bhabhar and Anil Barod, said Uike.
A case was registered at Badgonda police station the next day and the final report on the case was submitted in court on October 12, she said.
"The prosecution arguments kicked off on October 26 and statements of defence witnesses were recorded on March 20 this year. The final arguments of the prosecution and defence drew to a close on March 21, exactly five months and 12 days from the date of filing the case," Uike said.
