Two young men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang rape of a 17-year-old at Kurar village in May 2011. They had also recorded the incident on their mobile phone and circulated the video clip.
The two men, Suraj Nepali, and Rajesh Jaiswal, both aged 23, were expressionless as Dindoshi sessions court judge US Joshi Phalke pronounced the judgment.
“The entire court was shocked to witness that the accused showed no remorse. The two were stone-faced. Rather, after the court pronounced the sentence and informed the accused that they were punished with life imprisonment, the two men thanked the court for the judgment,” said advocate Madhuri Mahajan, public prosecutor in the case.
According to the prosecution, the girl, a resident of Kurar, had decided to visit the Siddhivinayak temple with Nepali on the night of May 9, 2011. The police said the two were friends and often went about together.
On the way to the temple, they were joined by Jaiswal and three others, all juveniles.
After visiting the temple they decided to spend some time together.
Nepali happened to go through the girl’s phone records when he came across the names of some men who he did not get along with. He was incensed and the two got into an argument.
Nepali forced himself on the girl. Jaiswal asked the three minors to hold the girl down and recorded the act on his phone. The accused threatened to circulate the video if she approached the police.
The incident came to light a few weeks later, when some police officials came across the MMS that the accused circulated among friends.
Mahajan said the prosecution examined 13 witnesses, including a media professional, who first reported the incident, and the girl.
“We also submitted the medical reports of the victim as well as the forensic examination of the video that confirmed the offence was committed by the accused,” Mahajan said.
The counsel for the accused pleaded with the court for a minimum sentence as the two are the only earning members in their families.
However the court upheld the prosecution argument that the act was gruesome and deserved nothing less than life imprisonment.
While the two were convicted for rape, Jaiswal was also charged and punished under the Information Technology Act for the MMS.
Total recall
The girl, a resident of Kurar, had decided to visit the Siddhivinayak temple with Nepali on the night of May 9, 2011. The police said the two were friends
On the way to the temple, they were joined by Jaiswal and three others, all juveniles.
Nepali happened to go through the girl’s phone records when he came across the names of some men who he did not get along with. He was incensed and the two got into an argument.
Nepali forced himself on the girl. Jaiswal asked the three minors to hold the girl down and recorded the act on his phone.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}