Bulandshahr gang-rape case: All five convicts sentenced to life imprisonment
LUCKNOW: After nearly nine years of legal proceedings, five convicts of the Bulandshahr NH-91 gang rape case were sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1.81 lakh each by the local court on Monday. Initially, 11 people were named as accused in the case, which pertained to a family that fell victim to brutal atrocities in 2016. Prime accused Salim Bawariya died during the course of the trial in 2019, while two other accused were killed in separate encounters by the STF. Those who were given lifer on Monday include Zubair and Sajid of Kannauj, and Dharamveer, Naresh and Sunil, residents of Farrukhabad. After the case was referred to the CBI, during its investigation, it found three accused to be innocent and dropped their names. The verdict was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge (POCSO) Om Prakash III, who termed the ruling significant in a case that had shocked the district. The court also ordered that the total fine amount be equally distributed between the two rape survivors. The horrific incident dates back to July 29, 2016, when a family of five was travelling by car from Noida to Shahjahanpur to attend a wedding function. As they reached near Dostpur village on National Highway-91 under the Bulandshahr Kotwali Dehat area, the attackers threw 'something' on their vehicle. After one of the family members got out of the car to see what had fallen on the car, over six to seven people attacked him, stopping the car by placing an iron rod on the road. The men then forced the family out of the vehicle and took them to nearby fields along with the car. The accused brutally gang-raped the woman and her daughter, while the other family members were kept hostage. The culprits then robbed the family of the ornaments and the cash before fleeing the spot. Speaking after the verdict, Additional District Government Counsel Varun Kaushik said the courts decision sent a strong message that such offenders must be kept away from society. Kaushik added that forensic evidence played a key role in securing the conviction. The most crucial evidence in this case was the DNA of one of the criminals found on the clothes of the gang rape victims mother, Kaushik said.
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